March 21, 2025
The word that sums up this week for me is 'joy.' From beautiful ski days, proud parent/teacher conferences, the return of recess kickball, magical musical performances and happy children; this was a week to remember.
Thank you to all of the families that participated in parent/teacher
conferences the past few weeks. It was lovely to see and hear kids be proud of their achievements and get the opportunity to show it off to their families. Another thanks to our dedicated teachers who worked hard with students to prepare for conferences and who show up each day to make school a special place for kids. We are so fortunate!
Next week hosts a few important events. On Monday, March 24th State Representatives Torre and White will host an educational reform discussion at Harwood from 6-8pm. I encourage all Moretown families to show up, ask questions and stay engaged. We are directly being impacted by these conversations.
On Tuesday, March 25th from 5-6pm the wonderful Moretown PTO
will host a social gathering here at school. This is an opportunity to show up and hear about the great work that the PTO does. There are many ways to get involved! Childcare and food will be provided.
Yesterday Moretown welcomed members from the Vermont 
Symphony Orchestra into our school. The woodwind trio, alongside a special "musical pollinator" from outerspace, performed for our students. During the performance students were asked to use their knowledge of the world to identify where different songs came from, different emotions that music could make someone feel and students were invited to engage and have fun with classical music. Ask your student about Polly the "musical pollinator" and what his job was here on earth.
Next week is our last day visiting Sugarbush for the school year. It is imperative that parents update PUP by 9:15 and we beg of you
to please do your part. What many don't see is the amount of behind the scenes work that goes into changing plans after the cut off time- it is far beyond just pushing a button. Once the deadline passes all reports (Sugarbush bus forms, afternoon bus forms, parent lists, group lists, teacher lists, etc.) all have to be updated manually and they are physically in different places around the building. When multiple calls come in to change plans it creates a large amount of work on the office at a time of day that is already busy and challenging. We appreciate everyone doing their part so that we can make sure that 167 students make it to their perfectly unique dismissal plans safetly and accurately. Thank you for your attention to this.
I hope that all of our families enjoy this 'long' weekend and I look forward to welcoming our students back on Monday. While I didn't appreciate the snow this morning, I am loving the sun this afternoon! Happy Spring all!
Ms. Kate
Upcoming Events:
March 24- Educational Reform Discussion at Harwood, 6-8pm
March 25- LAST DAY at Sugarbush!
March 25- PTO Social Gathering, 5-6pm
March 26- ½ field trip to Living Tree Alliance (11:30-2:00)
April 1- ECO restart
April 2- Family Nutrition Night @ WES 6-7pm
April 18- Skating trip at the Ice Center
April 19- Spring Break
May 16- American Flatbread Art Show Field Trip
May 19-23 Troy Wunderlee residency at MES
May 22- Circus Performance, 5:30pm
May 23- 6th Grade Trip to Hulbert
May 28- Drama Club Performance, 7:45-8:15
June 5- MES Spring Concert
PTO Update - Social Event - March 25th
The PTO is excited to be hosting an in-person PTO social event on Tuesday, March 25th from 5:00-6:00pm. This event will take place at the Moretown School library. It will be a chance to mingle with other Moretown parents, meet the current PTO officers, and learn more about what the PTO accomplishes each year. To make this event more accessible to parents, childcare will be available. For kids, there will also be pizza, along with arts and crafts, in the cafeteria. This social event is free to attend, but please RSVP, so the PTO knows how much food to provide: https://forms.gle/3x1nkwQvg2BebQcZ7
If you're unable to attend the March 25th social event but are interested in participating, just let the PTO know at [email protected]. Monthly PTO meetings are held via GoogleMeet every second Thursday at 7:00pm. All voices are welcome. You do not need to commit to monthly meetings in order to participate in the PTO - you are welcome to help out as your schedule permits.
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Save the Date: Family Nutrition Night April 2
RSVP at the link below by Friday, March 28th if you are planning to access pizza or childcare for this event. No RSVP is needed if you are just attending the talk. https://forms.gle/jVLU4efPZimhJNKN8
Wednesday, April 2nd from 6-7pm the WES and MES PTA/PTO are sponsoring an informative and engaging evening talk at Waitsfield Elementary School with Registered Dietitian Britt Richardson of Full Bite Nutrition. Pizza will be served from 5:30-6:00pm and childcare will be available from 6:00-7:00pm.
Britt will be discussing Nutrition and Responsive Feeding for Families, including:
How to foster a healthy relationship with food
Strategies to lower risk of disordered eating
Practical tips for feeding your family nutritious meals
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to create a positive and balanced approach to food in your home. This aligns with nutrition education taught by Ms. Zaino in the health classroom. To read about Ms. Zaino's approach to nutrition education click here.
https://zainopeandhealth.blogspot.com/2025/03/family-nutrition-night.html
Supporting Kids in Getting (And staying!) Organized, Thinking Ahead, and Problem Solving
Thursday, March 27, 7-8pm
Harwood UnionMiddle/High School Library
As parents, one of the most valuable skills we can teach our children is how to stay organized, think ahead, and solve problems independently. In this workshop, you'll learn practical strategies to help your kids keep track of their belongings, plan for the future, and approach challenges with confidence
Bio
Danielle graduated with her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology (M.S., CCC-SLP) in 2011 and has worked in a variety of settings over the last 13 years. Her current work is focused on teaching adults how to understand and prioritize the development of self-regulation as parents and/or professionals. She completed the VT- LEND fellowship in 2016. She is the owner/operator of Piece of Mind Therapy and Consulting, LLC and provides social communication consultation/evaluation services across the state of Vermont. She also co-owns VT AAC, LLC and with her colleague provides Augmentative and Alternative Communication Evaluations and Consultations for students with complex communication needs and professional development in the areas of AAC and Play/Literacy for school teams across the state.
Danielle also is the host of Coaching Youth For Life podcast and provides professional development offerings for school districts across the state of Vermont. She enjoys sharing her self-published book Max Learns to Pause with parents and professionals.
Sugar and Shmooze : A Celebration of the Spring Equinox
Sunday March 23 1:30 pm Living Tree Alliance Collective Farm, Moretown ,VT
Join us as we gather in the Living Tree sugar bush to wake up Mother Earth and honor Vermont's great miraculous thaw. Hibernation season is over, so let's celebrate! We’ll have lots to do at this all-ages seasonal celebration:
Pay what you can: Register ahead.
https://www.eventbrite.com/manage/events/1261706862189/details
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Summer FUNd Applications Open for 2025 –
Give Your Child a Summer to Remember
Summer is just around the corner, bringing endless opportunities for kids to explore, learn, and have fun. From outdoor adventures to creative arts and sports, summer camps offer children the chance to build friendships, develop new skills, and make lifelong memories. However, many families simply can’t afford the cost of camp. That’s where the MRV Summer FUNd comes in. Now in its fourth year, this vital program helps ensure that every child in our community has access to enriching summer experiences—regardless of lack of financial resources.
Apply Now – Limited Funding Available
Due to overwhelming demand, applications will now be reviewed in batches at the end of each month rather than on a rolling basis. Submitting early is encouraged but does not guarantee approval. Apply today at www.mrv-ic.org under the Summer FUNd page.
Help Make a Child’s Summer Unforgettable
Do you remember the joy of summer camp? The thrill of exploring the outdoors, making new friends, and discovering new passions? Sadly, last year, limited funding meant we couldn’t support many deserving families. With your help, we can change that. Together, we can give every child the summer they deserve. Every donation—large or small—makes a meaningful difference in the lives of local children.
Ways to Give:
A Community Effort
The MRV Summer FUNd is made possible through a partnership between the Mad River Valley Interfaith Council and the Mad River Valley Community Fund, with generous support from the Mad River Valley Rotary Club and caring individuals like you.
Our camp is located on 93 acres where youth explore the 2-acre garden, swim and tube in the creeks and rivers, explore the wonders of summer in Vermont: harvesting berries, finding chrysalises, painting themselves in the clay deposits in the river, making maps and exploring the adventure playground and treehouse. Led by counselors with more than 2 decades of teaching experience and farm to school leadership, the camp inspires stewardship of the earth, community building and gratitude.
https://livingtreealliance.com/workshops/camps/
Parading Pollinators Camp June 30- July 4 - Intermixed with our garden experiences and swimming, youth will create their dancing vegetable and pollinator outfits to be a part of the Warren Parade!
Valley Teva Camp with Pre School Program August 4-8 Play games, engage on the farm, make healthy treats, and enjoy the bounty of the natural world. Intermixed with time on the farm and at the river will be stories and teachings inspired by universal teachings about tikkun olam: healing the world! Preschool and Elementary aged camp.
Farm and River Camp August 18-23 (this occurs the week when NOW is closed) Living Tree's signature summer experience full of cooking, swimming, crafts and play. It's the off- screen wholesome experience that creates the roots of hope and resiliency!
Highlander Lacrosse Spring 2025 Registration is Open!
Calling all young athletes, grades K–8! Registration for the 2025 Highlander Lacrosse spring season is now open.
Chillax Sundays for K–2: A fun, beginner-friendly co-ed program every Sunday starting in May, with sessions in both the Valley and Waterbury. Sticks available!
Boys and Girls Teams including:
Season Dates: Practices start in March/April and Jamboree-style games start the first weekend in May. Boys play jamborees on Saturdays, Girls jamborees are on Sundays. Practice times and locations vary by team.
Gear Provided: Equipment is available for K–4 players, and we offer gear borrowing for grades K–8 (while supplies last).
Learn more and register at: www.highlanderlacrosse.com
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
2025 Harwood Summer Basketball Camps
It's hard to believe that we are already planning for summer! The registration for the 2025 Harwood Summer Baksetball Camps is open. This summer camp is open to players in 2nd grade through 9th grade. See the following for more information and to sign up:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DpCYjhWNG5NdTvHzaQtT3ASmuTKnY6UcNpUfIuHXspE/edit?tab=t.0
