Friday, December 14, 2018

Harwood Middle School Update, December 14, 2018

Harwood Middle School Update, December 14, 2018 

HUMS students had an opportunity to speak with
Senator Leahy this past Wednesday,  Students were Curious about
his life story, why he became a Senator and what his hopes and dreams
are for the United States.  Way to go HUMS!   
7th Grade Ethnographers are collecting their interviews this week for the final project.
Curious as to what Ethnography is?  Ask your 7th grader.....
 
"The Quiet Force" Documentary Showing

Former HUMS Student  Hilary Byrne, has recently been celebrated for her documentary "The Quiet Force" Hilary's step-sister Anlu Thamm is an HUMS 8th grade student and initially shared the film trailer (and it's opening in Jackson Hole) during a Harwood Hardcopy student newspaper meeting.  The documentary seemed like an important one to show as it ties into our recent immigration unit and is timely; the film is also made by HUMS alumni.   The film shows how vital the South American Immigrant population is to the ski areas out west (Mammoth, Jackson Hole & Alta), and gives information about current immigration policy and the need for some policy revision.  Right now they are in the process of showing it at film festivals so it is pretty special that were able to enjoy a premiere viewing   Many thanks to Hilary, Anlu and Jack Byrne for making this special event happen.   

After the viewing of the film HUMS students had the opportunity to process and critique the documentary in their Language Arts classes.  Students also compiled a list of questions they had about the film and film production (as well as Hilary's time as an HUMS student!) which Hilary will respond to and will be shared with students next week..

HUUSD School Board Meeting Update - Nov 28, 2018
Dear members of our six town community,
      Below please find the votes and key agenda items from the HUUSD board meeting on November 28.
    1. Approved the following items as part of the consent agenda for November 28, 2018:  Approve past meeting Minutes; Accept Board warrants totaling $438,229.33; Accept Board Leadership Report; Accept Director of Finance report; Adopted Policy E1 Fiscal Management; Approve HUHS Field Trip; Approve Annual Financial Management Questionnaire; Approve First Amendment to Solar Services Energy Agreement for net metering credits allocated to Thatcher Brook Primary School.
   2. After discussion, approved an amended work plan that includes the formation of committees to do project-specific work related to the board’s goals, with first committee meetings to commence on December 12.
   3. Agreed to add a future agenda item (date TBD) for the board to discuss what role, if any, the board has with respect to the school profile and transcript; and to allocate some meeting time on Dec 12 to discuss agenda development and procedure.
       A considerable amount of time in the meeting was spent reviewing and discussing the first draft of the district budget as presented by the Director of Finance. The first draft was a “level service” scenario. Key metrics included: 3.59% increase in total expenditures, 2% decrease in number of equalized pupils, 5% increase in spending per equalized pupil. There were multiple questions and comments around what was going to happen at the state level, and around the fact that we will not get the specific numbers that we need from the state to calculate tax rates until January.
       Our next HUUSD board meeting is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Wednesday, December 12 at the HUHS library.  Please note this meeting will be the first to follow a new agenda format, with the first hour spent with committees meeting individually. The full board will come back together at 7:00 pm.
      For more information, please visit wwsu.org for board agendas and minutes and to find the link to watch board meetings. The direct link to watch this and past meetings is: https://mrvtv.com/category/school-board-meetings/
      Thank you for your continued support and engagement.
Respectfully,    The HUUSD Board:   Christine Sullivan (Waitsfield)  *Chair, Caitlin Hollister (Waterbury)  *Vice Chair, Alycia Biondo (Warren), Jill Ellis (Fayston), Gabe Gilman (Moretown). Linda Hazard (Moretown), Garett MacCurtain (Duxbury), Maureen McCracken (Waterbury),Theresa Membrino (Fayston), Melissa Phillips (Waterbury), Torrey Smith (Duxbury), Alexandra Thomsen  (Waterbury), Rosemarie White (Warren), Rob Williams (Waitsfield)

Community Announcements
Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.
 

Holiday Taste of the Valley Event Featuring Student Cooking Country Christmas has a new event for everyone to participate in. Teams of young cooks and bakers will be sampling their foods and treats at local shops from 12 -2 pm on Saturday 12/8.
There are 7 teams competing. In order to vote for your favorite “taste” you need to sample from at least 5 of the tables (2 from the Bridge Street area and 3 from the Mad River Green Shops). Each station will have voting papers available and stamps to indicate that you’ve sampled the “taste”. Votes can be dropped off at Whippletree Designs (where the People’s Choice Trophy will be on display) till 5 pm.
Locations for the tastes are: The Artisan’s Gallery, Mad River Valley Visitor Center, Mad River Taste Place, Product Think Tank, Opulent Design, The Collection, and Peanut and Mouse.
Ashley Woods and Mary Laulis will be judging all tastes so we can recognize what was done well by each team and those results will be shared in the Valley Reporter the week following the event. The People’s Choice Award will also be shared at that time. All recipes will be available on www.MadRiverValley.com.

Gifts of Kindness (donation box will be picked up 12/7/18)   Harwood Union Rotary Interact club is holding the Gifts of Kindness clothing and toy drive for our 15th year. This drive seeks to collect new and very gently used toys and clothing for families in Washington County experiencing homelessness. We plan to collect items between the dates of November 28th and December 7th. Interact works with the Good Samaritan House, the only homeless shelter in Central Vermont, and CIRCLE in Barre, who provide shelter for families experiencing domestic violence. Our goal is to brighten the holiday season for people in need. There is a box for donations in the school lobby.


Fencing Instruction    For adults and Students grade 5 and up. Students have priority and reduced cost. All non-students and adults are welcomed as well! Beginners and experienced Fencers. No experience is necessary.
When: 6:30-8:00 PM with open Fencing and individual instruction 8:00-9:00 PM. Mondays and Wednesdays Dec 10 - Jan 21, 6:30 PM-8:00 PM (no class Dec 24, 26, 31)
Where: Moretown Elementary School Gym
Why: Learn basic Fencing or refine your current skills.
Cost: $50 for Students grades 5-12. $125 for all others


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