From Superintendent Jeanne Collins:
Our Hearts and Prayers Go Out to the Newtown, CT Community
Dear Burlington Parents, Guardians, and Community Members:
We were deeply saddened to hear the news of the school shooting Friday at a Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Our thoughts are with the members of that community. The safety of our students is always the top priority in our District. We take seriously our responsibility to ensure the safety of your child every day.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our families that we have a plan in place at each of our schools to handle emergency situations. We work with the Burlington police and fire departments to prepare for emergencies and regularly practice our safety procedures with students and staff through discussions and emergency exercises. While no amount of planning can guarantee that a tragedy such as this will not occur, we are doing everything we know to keep students and staff safe while at school. We need your continued help in keeping our schools safe by asking you to check in with school offices whenever you enter a school, and direct anyone you see without an ID or visitor's badge to the office to get one.
We have been working over the weekend to prepare for students returning to school on Monday. Due to the extensive media coverage, we cannot assume even our youngest students are protected from this story. We will have resources available to help teachers respond to statements by children or to lead conversations, as age appropriate. We will also have counselors and school psychologists ready to respond to students as needed. We will also get together on Monday afternoon for our regular safety planning meeting with Burlington Police and Fire to discuss our safety needs in light of this tragedy further.
As we learn more details about this tragic incident in the days ahead, it will be important for you to spend time talking with your children and helping them cope with this news. I would like to share with you a list of tips from the National Association of School Psychologists about what parents can do at times like this:
I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our families that we have a plan in place at each of our schools to handle emergency situations. We work with the Burlington police and fire departments to prepare for emergencies and regularly practice our safety procedures with students and staff through discussions and emergency exercises. While no amount of planning can guarantee that a tragedy such as this will not occur, we are doing everything we know to keep students and staff safe while at school. We need your continued help in keeping our schools safe by asking you to check in with school offices whenever you enter a school, and direct anyone you see without an ID or visitor's badge to the office to get one.
We have been working over the weekend to prepare for students returning to school on Monday. Due to the extensive media coverage, we cannot assume even our youngest students are protected from this story. We will have resources available to help teachers respond to statements by children or to lead conversations, as age appropriate. We will also have counselors and school psychologists ready to respond to students as needed. We will also get together on Monday afternoon for our regular safety planning meeting with Burlington Police and Fire to discuss our safety needs in light of this tragedy further.
As we learn more details about this tragic incident in the days ahead, it will be important for you to spend time talking with your children and helping them cope with this news. I would like to share with you a list of tips from the National Association of School Psychologists about what parents can do at times like this:
1. Reassure children that they are safe.
Emphasize that schools are very safe. Validate their feelings. Explain that all feelings are okay when a tragedy occurs. Let children talk about their feelings, help put them into perspective, and assist them in expressing these feelings appropriately.
2. Make time to talk.
Let their questions be your guide as to how much information to provide. Be patient. Children and youth do not always talk about their feelings readily.
3. Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate.
• Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their school and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them.
• Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance separating reality from fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to provide safe schools.
• Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence in schools and society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to make school safer and how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following school safety guidelines communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators, and accessing support for emotional needs.
• Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their school and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them.
• Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance separating reality from fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to provide safe schools.
• Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence in schools and society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to make school safer and how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following school safety guidelines communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators, and accessing support for emotional needs.
4. Review safety procedures.
This should include procedures and safeguards at school and at home. Help children identify at least one adult at school and in the community to whom they go if they feel threatened or at risk.
5. Observe children’s emotional state.
Some children may not express their concerns verbally. Changes in behavior, appetite, and sleep patterns can indicate a child’s level of anxiety or discomfort. In most children, these symptoms will ease with reassurance and time. However, some children may be at risk for more intense reactions. Children who have had a past traumatic experience or personal loss, suffer from depression or other mental illness, or with special needs may be at greater risk for severe reactions than others. Seek the help of mental health professional if you are at all concerned.
6. Limit television viewing of these events.
Limit television viewing and be aware if the television is on in common areas. Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children. Adults also need to be mindful of the content of conversations that they have with each other in front of children, even teenagers, and limit their exposure to vengeful, hateful, and angry comments that might be misunderstood.
7. Maintain a normal routine.
Keeping to a regular schedule can be reassuring and promote physical health. Ensure that children get plenty of sleep, regular meals, and exercise. Encourage them to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities but don’t push them if they seem overwhelmed.
As parents and teachers, we are troubled by events like what occurred in Connecticut. However, events such as this tragedy also provide us with the opportunity to help our children to understand, also reminding them that, as the adults in their lives, we do everything we can to keep them safe. As we learn more details about today’s events, we will discuss and debrief with administrators and staff accordingly and be ready when your children return to school on Monday.
News
Newsletters
were sent home with every student this week.
Students, did you show it to your parents?
Parents, did they show it to you?
You can also check it out at http://hunt.bsdvt.org/ and click
on Newsletters.
The Hunt December newsletter is also available online.
Read on to catch up on all of the news!
http://hunt.bsd.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=244755&sessionid=a81b540f1a91703eb18c32dd347cf5bb
Also check out the latest edition of the Hunt Newspaper!
Student written, edited and formatted - Enjoy!
BSD
recently announced to Hunt families that they would keep interim Principal, Rich
Amato and interim Vice Principal, Lashawn Selles in place for a 2nd year. The
search for permanent Hunt administrators will begin in January 2014.
The 2013-14 proposed school budget has been announced with a 4.7% increase in spending and cuts totaling over a million dollars. Click the link below to see a table of proposed cuts in the District. Public comment sought! (that's us!)
http://www.boarddocs.com/vt/bsdvt/Board.nsf/files/92VKUC52E818/$file/Board%20proposed%20reductions121012.pdf
Public comment hearings are scheduled for December 18th and January 7th, both at 7 p.m. at BHS.
Public comment hearings are scheduled for December 18th and January 7th, both at 7 p.m. at BHS.
A public comment on January 8th at 7 p.m. at BHS will also be held prior to final budget decisions.
For detail on the 2012-2013 Budget, visit www.bsdvt.org—School Board/Meeting Agendas, on the left side.
For detail on the 2012-2013 Budget, visit www.bsdvt.org—School Board/Meeting Agendas, on the left side.
Word in the Free Press is that BSD Superintendent, Jeanne Collins is a finalist in the search for a new Superintendent in the Addison County Supervisory District. No word on when their final selection will be and whether Jeanne will remain at BSD or be leaving at the end of the school year.
This just in from
the
desk of Doug Davis,
desk of Doug Davis,
BSD Foodservice
Director.
There has been a change in the new meal pattern regulations that will
allow us to make the following changes to school lunches:
Additions to
the salad bar:
- lowfat/fat free cottage cheese
- yogurt
- diced egg
- shredded
cheese
Additions to the service lines:
(pertains mostly to the high school)
- rice and
beans
- hot pasta
sides
- heartier
soups with meats and/or whole grains
Good news
for our students!
One more Hunt Winter Concert coming Wednesday!
Please come and support our budding musicians --
You will be in for a real treat!
UNO Dough Raiser for DC
Fundraiser For DC/Philadelphia trip
Hunt Middle School is partnering with Shoe Box Recycling to recycle paired, wearable shoes. The shoes will be reused for individuals here in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Want an easy way to support your PTO that doesn’t require volunteering and won’t cost you a dime?
Here’s how to help:
Contact Jennifer Sutton, Hunt Middle School Outreach Coordinator, if you might be interested in presenting to a class. Phone: 310-4998 or jsutton@bsdvt.org
You will be in for a real treat!
At each concert there will be a bake sale table with a variety of goodies, fresh fruit and water. The proceeds of these sales goes to the
Hunt Theatre committee.
Hunt Theatre committee.
Your generosity helps keep the arts alive at Hunt.
Here is what we need:
Yummy baked goods – brownies, cookies, cupcakes, dessert bars, cups of pudding, slices of cake wrapped up with a fork…Be Creative and remember that frosting sells! On the healthier side, cups of washed grapes, raisins/dried fruit, clementine oranges, gluten free (yes, please!) wrapped snack, small bags of chips/crackers
Items can be brought to the event and dropped at the bake sale table around 6:30 (same time your kid will need to get to Hunt). Many folks will buy a goodie to eat before the show while they wait for the start at 7. If you can let us know that you will send something in, it helps with our planning. You can reply back to this email. Either way, we will happily accept your donation without RSVP.
Thanks in advance for your participation and enjoy the shows! Kate B.
UNO Dough Raiser for DC
Fundraiser For DC/Philadelphia trip
Every OTHER Thursday,
December 6th, 2012 - March 14th, 2013
That means THIS Thursday, December 20th!
That means THIS Thursday, December 20th!
Every other Thursday (through March 14th) bring in one of the special HUNT coupons and UNOs will donate 20% of your bill (food AND drink) to the Hunt school trip fund.
Please contact Chris at
Hunt Middle School is partnering with Shoe Box Recycling to recycle paired, wearable shoes. The shoes will be reused for individuals here in the U.S. and throughout the world.
This program provides affordable shoes to those in need such as those suffering from Hurricane Sandy and many others. This will keep used shoes out of the landfill, creating a cleaner and greener planet. Recycling shoes also creates micro-enterprises for individuals throughout the world, fueling local economies here and abroad.
Shoes We Accept:
* All paired men’s, women’s and kids shoes that are still usable. That means no holes in the soles and no wet or mildewed pairs. This includes athletic shoes, dress shoes, timberland type work boots, sandals, heels, flats
Shoes We Don’t Accept:
* Heavy Winter Boots, Skates, Blades, Flip-Flops, Slippers, Singles, Unusable, and Thrift Store Shoes.
Place your reused shoes in the specially marked box ShoeBox Recycling found in the main lobby of Hunt School.
Questions or for larger pick-ups, contact Susan Rutherford at 951-2571 or susanrutherford@hotmail.com
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”
Shoes We Accept:
* All paired men’s, women’s and kids shoes that are still usable. That means no holes in the soles and no wet or mildewed pairs. This includes athletic shoes, dress shoes, timberland type work boots, sandals, heels, flats
Shoes We Don’t Accept:
* Heavy Winter Boots, Skates, Blades, Flip-Flops, Slippers, Singles, Unusable, and Thrift Store Shoes.
Place your reused shoes in the specially marked box ShoeBox Recycling found in the main lobby of Hunt School.
Questions or for larger pick-ups, contact Susan Rutherford at 951-2571 or susanrutherford@hotmail.com
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”
Save Box Tops for Education!
Here’s how to help:
**Box Tops for Education are on the packages of hundreds of participating products that you probably use every day. All you need to do is cut them off the box they are on, stick them in a baggie, and send them to school with your child. There is a container for the Box Tops in the main office.
**Did you know that Box Tops are dated and cannot be used if they are past this expiration date??
Make yourself a note on your home or electronic calendar to send in those Box Tops!! Saving them is the first step. Sending them in before they expire is the next.
We will be collecting Box Tops all year long, so start saving and sending in your Box Tops today! The collection box will be located in the main office.
Make yourself a note on your home or electronic calendar to send in those Box Tops!! Saving them is the first step. Sending them in before they expire is the next.
We will be collecting Box Tops all year long, so start saving and sending in your Box Tops today! The collection box will be located in the main office.
Thanks for choosing to support our school by collecting Box Tops!
Sincerely,
Susan Rutherford
Volunteer Coordinator for Box Tops for Education
Hunt Middle School PTO
Are you a Health Care Professional?
Hunt Middle School is looking for speakers
in the following areas:
Neurology
Respiration and circulation
Reproduction
Contact Jennifer Sutton, Hunt Middle School Outreach Coordinator, if you might be interested in presenting to a class. Phone: 310-4998 or jsutton@bsdvt.org
Save the Date....
- December 19 - Band Concert
- December 24 - January 1st - No School
- January 2nd, 2013 - School starts up again
- January 11 -- School Dance
- January 21 - No School, MLK Day
- January 25 - Ghost Out Assembly (Drunk Driving Awareness)
- February 2nd - Jr. Iron Chef
Thanks for the link to the newsletter!
ReplyDeleteSure! :-) SD
ReplyDelete