Hunt PTO Update 3/5/14

Hunt PTO Update

3/5/14

Hope February break was restful and fun for your family!

Don't forget to check out the latest 
Hunt newsletter for MARCH:

http://hunt.bsd.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=244755&sessionid=bc074fc22f80241055883d6bf0e937a7 


An update from Superintendent Collins on the HMS Principal Search:

Dear Hunt faculty and staff and parents:

I want to thank you for taking the time to meet the four candidates for the Hunt principal position last week. It is clear from the thoughtful feedback I received that those of you involved took the responsibility seriously and truly care about the leadership of our school community. 

To update you on where we are in the process, the Principal Search Advisory Committee met Thursday morning and sifted through the feedback received, sharing their joint impressions with me. I plan to follow up with the candidates on questions raised and check references this week. I am hopeful that shortly after vacation we will have a candidate to bring forward to the Board. Ultimately, it is all of the pieces of the process- the interviews, the reference checks, and my conversations with the candidates, that lead to the final decision I must make. Your input was invaluable to this process.

I especially wish to thank Nikki Fuller and the Principal Search Advisory Committee for their work to get us to this stage, Kathy Mathis for keeping things moving smoothly as she drove candidates to their various appts, and the faculty and staff for being welcoming during the tours and informal parts of the day. 

Jeanne Collins

More on the HMS Principal Search Update can be found here:

http://hunt.bsd.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/announce.phtml?sessionid=bc074fc22f80241055883d6bf0e937a7&sessionid=bc074fc22f80241055883d6bf0e937a7

Informational Meeting for Spring Athletics -- 

March 17th @ 6:30 pm

An invite from the Hunt administration to YOU...

Parent Coffee

YOU ARE INVITED! 

Principal/Parent Coffee

Friday, March 21st, 2014, 8:10am to 8:55am

Have coffee or tea with our Principals. Tell us what's on your mind. Let us know what's working or what's not working. Ask questions or just chat and relax with us in our library. Friday. March 21st, morning at 8:10am.

Hunt Pancake Breakfast & Silent Auction Coming Soon!

Are you a house painter, gardener, knitter, electrician or child care provider? Do you own a vacation property, work for a restaurant, clean houses, or decorate birthday cakes that your family just loves? Do you have a closet full of holiday gifts you couldn't use, but just know someone will love? Then we want you and your goods and services for the PTO's silent auction!

On March 22nd from 8:30-11:30a.m., in the Hunt Gymnasium, there will be a delicious pancake breakfast and Silent Auction.

Save the date and plan to bring the whole family to this grand event! 100% of the proceeds from the breakfast and auction will cover expenses for programs and activities your Hunt PTO provides. This year's 8th grade graduation, next year's 6th grade orientation picnic, field trips, and many other valuable enrichment activities can only happen with your support!

The PTO fundraising team and others have already secured dozens of gift certificates to local restaurants, salons, jewelers, and galleries for this fantastic event! We want this auction to be spectacular and with your help, it will be!

VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED FOR HUNT'S PANCAKE BREAKFAST AND SILENT AUCTION - SAT. MARCH 22

 We are still a hair (well, actually a lot) in need of some more volunteers at the Hunt S.A. and Pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 22. The event will be taking place from 8:30-11:30, thus we would love volunteers from about 7-1pm.  There are lots of different and exciting shifts to choose from, unless of course you are crazy and want to work the whole thing!  Here is the break down of the times needed:

KITCHEN:

7-9 - mostly set up

9-11 - serving food, replacing food, cleaning tables, etc.

11-1  - mostly clean up 

SILENT AUCTION:

8:15-10:30- manning silent auction tables

10:30-12:30- mostly helping with the end of the auction 

12-1- clean up

If you could let me know which times would work for you and if you have a preference as to your whereabouts - kitchen or silent auction, that would be super!!!  Also, if you can think of anyone else that wants to take part in the fun of supporting our school, please pass on this email. 

Thank you all so much for your consideration of helping out! It really means a lot!! 

Tammy Kuypers 

email : kuypers5@yahoo.com

phone: 863-1943

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS -

BEST FRIEND OR WORST ENEMY

How do we keep ourselves and our children safe in the emerging world of electronic communication and social media?

Join Detective Nash of the Burlington Police Department for an evening of discussion in the Hunt Library on MARCH 26th from 6-7:30 PM.

Spotlight – Superintendent’s Column Greetings All, As you are now aware our budget was defeated significantly in this week's vote. The disconnect between our growing enrollment and investment in quality programs, with an education funding system that resulted in an anticipated 9.9% tax increase (for a moderate 3.9% budget increase) hit the wall and Burlington voters expressed that they could not afford it any longer. What are the next steps? We will have six new Board Members beginning in April and this Board will determine if we go back out for a second budget vote, and if so, what shall it be? Ultimately, if we have no approved budget by June 30th, we can spend this year's budget amount plus any additional revenue. This will mean additional reductions of about $2M at the high end. In the next week, I must prepare a reduction in force list in anticipation of what the Board decides and how we will end up with a spending plan. This likely means there will be many RIFs extended and some positions will likely be recalled this year, but not until late spring. This always causes anxiety and I am very sorry for that. Because of contractual deadlines, we must RIF first and then bring back as revenue is approved through a budget. I will try to keep you up to speed as to the thinking of the Board. Basically, anything not mandated will be considered for reduction. There is no doubt there will be an impact on the classroom and on programs. Of course, we will also seek non-program reductions as much as possible. We will get through this together. Please hang in there and ask questions as we go through this process. Thank you for your commitment to the children of Burlington. I wish to thank the following Board Members for their years of service and dedication to Burlington's children as they leave the Board: Kathy Chasan (8 years), Bernie O'Rourke (6 years), Jill Evans (4 years), Rebecca Grimm (3 years), Erin Kranichfeld (2 years), and Linda Deliduka (2 years). I also wish to welcome the new Board Members who will begin their terms in April: Kyle Dodson (Ward 1), Brian Cina (Ward 2), Charlie Giannoni (Ward 3), Scot Shumski (Ward 4), Stephanie Seguino (Ward 6), and David Kirk (Ward 7). Jeanné

West Side Story to be performed April 3rd - 5th at Hunt!  Mark your calendars TODAY!

The Hunt Student Council 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.

Where to bring your reused 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”

More Parenting wisdom from 

Vicki Hoefle's Blog:  

Five Ways to Preserve your Teen’s Freedom 

(and the Relationship)

I am teaching an Adolescent Class this month, and reminded again how difficult it can be for parents to give their teens the freedom they so desperately yearn for. In the teens’ attempt to break free from their parents and create some autonomy, their parents experience increased stress and as a result, begin tugging at the little freedom their teens do have in an attempt to recreate the closeness they once felt when their teen was a toddler.

If you are the parent of a younger child, the time to start is now. Spend some time learning how you can start supporting your child’s independence in small ways over the course of many years so that when they finally reach the teen years and your instinct is to pull back the reins – you will have experience that tells you – your child can handle this exciting and exhilarating time of life.

Timeline

At infancy, we are connected to our children – body, mind and soul – in a way that will never be duplicated again during their lifetime. We teach ourselves how to listen for small subtle changes in the babies’ cries, we spend hours holding, feeding, changing and just staring at these small wonders. At no other time will we be as connected to a human being as we are to our child during early infancy.

As they become toddlers, we are still close at hand, ready to swoop in at a moment’s notice if necessary. Imagine a rubber band tethered to both you and your toddler. They may travel as far as five feet away from you at any given time, but the truth is, you are close enough to scoop in, pick them up football style and remove them from any impending danger. And yet, they are beginning to experience the first thrill of freedom and independence. They are exploring, learning, and experiencing the world with just a bit of autonomy.

As they reach school age they enter what I call “The Grace Period”. They are old enough to understand certain dangers and how to avoid them, so we allow them to stretch the rubber band — and we even add a bit of extra slack, conveying to the kids that we trust them. Because we are more relaxed, and because the kids feel this loose line between themselves and their parents, they tend to check in regularly. No need to stay far away because they are certain that after a quick check in with mom or dad they will be allowed to travel back into the world and explore.

And then our kids reach the tween years and suddenly parents are acutely aware of how dangerous the world is and how one bad decision could lead to a ruined life, so they pull that rubber band in as close as they had it during the toddler years.

Because we are unable to articulate our fear in a sensible and respectful way and because our kids have no idea why we suddenly stop trusting them and begin hovering around them as if they were two-years-old, tensions rise.

Soon power struggles ensue. Our teens want parents who extend more freedom not less with even more slack so they can continue their march toward independence. What they get are parents who begin tugging and pulling on the metaphorical rubber band and with each tug the child becomes more determined NOT to turn and reconnect with their parents.
All for fear that if they dare to come close, to look for guidance from a parent, to feel a connection that reminds them they are loved and safe, their freedom will be taken from them and they will be forced to fight their way back to the independence they so desperately need.

After a few rounds of this, teens soon learn to stay away and parents. In the haste to be a part of their teens’ life, parents begin snooping, interfering, prying, and they stop honoring privacy. The relationship continues to suffer.

Here are 5 tips that will help you lengthen the cord, trust your teen and preserve your relationship.

1. Accept when your children are infants (or whatever age they are at the time you read this) that they are going to leave you and that you are charged with ensuring that when they leave they are ready to fly on their own.

2. Begin backing out of your job as your child’s “manager” the minute they arrive on the planet and by the time they are 18, you will both be ready for more physical distance without feeling emotionally distant from each other.

3. Be honest with your kids about any trepidation you have about their increased freedom. Ask them to help you be more reasonable and to accept that they can handle more responsibility for their world. If you do, you will inevitably create a bond that makes both of you feel closer and more connected to each other.

4. Make sure that you are talking with moms who have kids 3, 5 and 7 years older than your kids and ask for their perspective, their tips and what life is like when you accept that your children will move away from you and how to bridge that gap with grace and dignity.

5. Trust your kids. They love you. They want you in their lives. They do not want to be smothered or worried about or babied or saved. They want to prove to you, that they are strong, wise, and resilient. They want to prove that they can handle the next phase of life, so be their champion not their babysitter.

Save the Date!

• Tuesday, March 11th - Family Book Discussion Evening - 6pm
• March 11th - 3rd Quarter Progress Reports Go Home
• March 17th - Spring Athletics Sign-up and Informational Meeting @ 6:30 pm 
• March 21st - Parent Coffee with the Principals, 8:10 am
• March 22nd - Hunt Pancake Breakfast & Silent Auction
• March 26 - Electronics Communications talk - 6pm
• March 27th - Early Release Day - Students are dismissed at NOON.
• April 3-5 - West Side Story at HMS