Harwood Middle School Update, February 22 2019

We hope everyone has an amazing Winter Break!  See everyone in March.  

Be Curious, Connected and Caring!   

HUUSD Middle School Musicians
Performing Together
Amazing!  

Music is alive and well at Harwood Union Middle School 

 Studebt Musicians perform both composer and composed songs recently fortheir peers and the greater community.  Connecting through music
is a great way to build a community. 

Parent Career Fair Help: Wednesday, April 3
Part of planning for high school is getting students forward thinking. We would love your help in exposing students to a range of career opportunities. Here is the link to some details regarding this event Career Fair 2019
Sign up to participate here

On behalf of the Harwood Unified Union School District Board of Directors, we’re asking you to vote “yes” on the two items that will be on the HUUSD ballot this year. The first will be to approve a budget for Fiscal Year 2020, in the amount of $38,600,862.00, and represents an equalized tax rate of $1.62. This is an increase of 2 cents over last year’s tax rate. The proposed budget is a level service budget, which preserves the quality of programming the board believes the community values in our schools. It’s important to remember that without the 3rd year of our Act 46 merger incentive, the tax rate would be six cents higher. Our board has worked to keep the tax rate low while providing educators with the resources necessary to help our students thrive. Our merger has also allowed us to provide more quality and greater equity in programming and a consistent equalized tax rate across our six towns.

The second question will be on contributing $1,000,000 towards the HUUSD maintenance reserve fund. This money comes from an FY 2018 budget surplus and will allow us to replace funds being used for this summer’s capital improvement projects and to save for future work and updates which will be needed to responsibly manage our 7 campuses and school buildings. We encourage you to join us for our annual meeting on Monday, March 4, at 6:00 pm in the Harwood Union High School library to hear a more detailed presentation of our FY 2020 budget.  

Thank you in advance for your support.  

Christine Sullivan, Chair

Caitlin Hollister, Vice Chair

Harwood Unified Union School District Board of Directors

 **As a reminder, one of the ways that all of YOU can engage and connect  with your broader community is through voting on Tuesday, March 5th, both at your town meeting and through the Australian ballot available  7 a.m - 7 p.m.  If you wish to learn more about the HUUSD proposed budget, which you will be asked to vote upon through Australian ballot, please join the meeting to review this budget on Monday, March 4th, 6 pm, at the Harwood auditorium.

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.

FREE Vision Screening for children preschool-8th grade, at Mad River Eye Care, during winter school vacation, February 25-March 5th.  Walk-ins welcome or call to book an appointment at  802-448-6988.

Mad River Lacrosse Season  Mad River Valley Youth Lacrosse offers a fun opportunity for boys and girls from kindergarten to eighth grade to play lacrosse. First timers are welcome at any level. Teams are divided up by boys and girls in grades 3-4,5-6, and 7-8. We offer a Sunday morning program called "Chill Lax" for boys and girls in grades K, 1 and 2. Before registering your son or daughter to play 2019 spring lacrosse, all players must first register with the U.S. Lacrosse Association(www.uslacrosse.org) and obtain a U.S. Lacrosse Membership number. Once you get the lacrosse number, please go to the Mad River Lacrosse (www.madriverlax.com) website and register your child.  Official outdoor practices are held at Mad River Park, beginning in late April, while specific team coaches may schedule pre-season indoor sessions.  Games are conducted from the first week of May through mid-June. Please send any and all questions to madriverlaxinfo@gmail.com

Volley Ball Registration  Sign up is open for Middle School Volleyball (March Madness League) for all HUUSD boys and girls grade 5-8 (including those who have never played). Practices, matches, and tournaments take place 3/7/19 through 3/30/19. Use the following link to for more information and to sign up: tinyurl.com/cbmsvb2019

TRIP Dance Company will be presenting its annual fundraiser at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center on March 22^nd at 7:00 p.m & March 23^rd at 3 pm.  TRIP is a non-profit competitive youth dance company associated with the Stowe/Mad River Dance Academy.  Don’t miss seeing local dancers perform their award-winning dances!   Tickets can be purchased in advance directly through the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center at WWW.SPRUCEPEAKARTS.ORG or 802-760-4634.  If you can’t make it to the performance, please consider donating to TRIP Dance Company by emailing:  trip.dance.company@gmail.com

Harwood Middle School Update, February 15, 2019

Our Voices Exposed!
HUMS Cares about student choices around health and well being.  HUMS students recently attended an OVX rally in Montpelier to
inform legislators on their stance on tobacco issues.    

Care to know more...
Here is some information regarding flavored tobacco use.
https://www.facebook.com/OVXVermont/  

Dear families of 8th graders, 

The 8th-grade team would like to have a team breakfast on Friday, February 22 to celebrate our school community as well as say goodbye to Melissa Greenwood, Katelyn Bouffard's maternity leave substitute. It would be great if students can bring in some breakfast foods to share. We will provide all the plates, cups, napkins, utensils and drinks. The breakfast will be held in the morning from 7:45-8:15.

Thank you, 

Team 8 

You have likely received a postcard, like the one below, indicating that the HUUSD Annual Board report is available online. That report contains a variety of information, including details on the HUUSD budget that you will be asked to vote on March 5, 2019.   Below are some of the budget details from that report:

Total HUUSD FY20 Proposed Budget	$38,600,862
Total Budget Change	3.8%
Equalized Homestead Property Tax Rate Change	1.7%  ($1.60 to $1.62)
Average Wage Increase included for all staff	3.0%
Gold CDHP Healthcare Premium Increase	11.18%
Overall staffing FTE Change	-0.10 FTE (369.25 to 369.15)

The budget results in an estimated cost per pupil of $17,968, 4.8% over the current year. The budget also includes an increase in operations and maintenance expense.  The board approved a second budget article for a contribution to the Maintenance Reserve Fund of $1,000,000 to fund capital improvement projects totaling $1,116,800 in FY20.  

The bar graph below shows a four-year history of actual tax rates for each town and the estimated rates for 2019.  Note the savings associated with the Act 46 merger incentive. In year three, two towns--Duxbury and Moretown--have lower tax rates than those in 2015, prior to consolidation. Last year four towns had tax rates lower than those in 2015.

The reduced tax rates due to tax incentives received under Act 46 were $0.10 in 2017 and $0.08 in 2018. They will be $0.06 in 2019. The estimated savings for homestead taxpayers on a $250,000 home over the last three years is shown below:

Please remember to vote Tuesday, March 6.

Respectfully, Kaiya

HUUSD BOARD CLERK NEEDED

        The HUUSD Board is seeking a Board Clerk to begin as soon as possible.  This job entails taking minutes at the board meetings which are usually held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. at Harwood Union High School.  The board does not usually meet in July.  Minutes must be sent to the HUUSD Central Office within five business days of the meeting.  Pay is $100 per meeting. If interested, please contact  Laura Titus at ltitus@huusd.org.

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.

Skiing for Scholars Program at Mad River Glen Mad River Glen is launching the skiing for Scholars Program in an effort to enable local students to enjoy the sport of skiing. The program offers free all-mountain skiing from 2-4pm on Fridays, plus extended skiing until 5 pm on the Practice Slope lift.  The program also includes free equipment rentals and free instruction.  This program begins February 15-March 29, 2019.  Preregistration for rentals is required and availability is limited.  Reserve at mikejengo@hotmail.com or call 802-496-3551, ext. 127. Preregistration is also required for free lessons with Ski School instructors, 3:00-4:30pm, email skischool@madriverglen.com or all 802-496-3551 Ext. 125. There is also a free "Fast Start" program, an introduction to racing for the more experienced skiers interested in learning basic ski race techniques and the thrill of running set courses with video analysis.  This group will meet weekly from 3:30-4:30pm.  Pre-registration is required by emailing race@madriverglen.com or call 802-496-3551 Ext. 126.

Harwood Middle School Update, February 8, 2019

Trying to find their way...
Connected and Curious 7th-grade scientist working together to find
their way out of an ecological escape room.  

Ecology Escape Room:

In order to "escape", students had to use their knowledge of ecology to solve clues and retrieve the completion codes to break out of each level. Once all levels were complete, they had to solve a puzzle to retrieve the completion code to "break out" and save the class from the mad scientist who trapped the students in the classroom!

7th-Grade students Connecting through a game of chess 

8th Grade Chefs create a smoothie as part of their culinary ELOx project in which they made
healthy granola bars for their classmates.   

Curious about the Civil War?
8th-grade historians re-create aspects of the civil war for presentation and discussion.

FUN NIGHT ANNOUNCED
Harwood Middle School will host a Fun Night on
February 15 from 7 - 9 at the
Harwood Middle School.
The Harwood Student Government will sponsor the
evening which will host rooms for various activities.
Cost for the evening is $5.00. 
(FYI: this is not a dance or basketball game event)  

CALENDAR UPDATE

February  2019

February 2019
Feb 15	Fun Night at HUMS 7 - 9 $5.00
Feb 22- March 6	Winter Break/Town Meeting

February 2019

Feb 15

Fun Night at HUMS 7 - 9

$5.00

Feb 22- March 6

Winter Break/Town Meeting

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.


Skiing for Scholars Program at Mad River Glen Mad River Glen is launching the skiing for Scholars Program in an effort to enable local students to enjoy the sport of skiing. The program offers free all-mountain skiing from 2-4pm on Fridays, plus extended skiing until 5 pm on the Practice Slope lift.  The program also includes free equipment rentals and free instruction.  This program begins February 15-March 29, 2019.  Preregistration for rentals is required and availability is limited.  Reserve at mikejengo@hotmail.com or call 802-496-3551, ext. 127. Preregistration is also required for free lessons with Ski School instructors, 3:00-4:30pm, email skischool@madriverglen.com or all 802-496-3551 Ext. 125. There is also a free "Fast Start" program, an introduction to racing for the more experienced skiers interested in learning basic ski race techniques and the thrill of running set courses with video analysis.  This group will meet weekly from 3:30-4:30pm.  Pre-registration is required by emailing race@madriverglen.com or call 802-496-3551 Ext. 126.

HUHS International Dinner February 11, 6-8pm.  The cost of admission is $10 at the door.  This dinner celebrates the school's ties to the international community and raises funds for students traveling abroad through the school's travel study programs.  This year's school trips are to Greece, Italy and Denmark.  The evening will consist of a full buffet-style dinner, student and staff led entertainment, silent auction, and a quilt raffle.

3 Debuts at One Event, Feb16th, 11:00-1pm, at the Collection in Waitsfield.  Vermont's own NY Times bestselling author/illustrator John Churchman will be signing his newest release The Easter Surprise, the fifth book in the Sweet Pea & Friends series starring Fern the bunny.  Fern will be making her debut at the Collection! In addition, Laddie the border collie will be back, too. John will also be signing his newly self-published illustrated journal, Finding Light: A Seasonal Journal.

The Hungry Heart   A screening and conversation about opioid addiction in our community has been rescheduled for February 13th at Big Picture Theater, 6pm. Join the Mad River Valley Libraries for a screening of "The Hungry Heart", a documentary by Bess O'Brien that shares the often hidden world of prescription drug addiction and recovery. Primarily shot in Franklin County, Vermont, the film takes an intimate and powerful look at those who have been swept into the downward spiral of addiction, and highlights the struggles and hopes of recovering addicts and their quest for a better future. Matt Whalen from the Vermont Department of Health will also be on hand to help facilitate a discussion of the opioid crisis and how it manifests in our community. Light refreshments will be served, and the event is free and open to all. Generously sponsored by the Big Picture Theater, MRV Libraries, Capstone Community Action and the MRV Community Fund. 

Harwood Middle School Update, February 1, 2019

The temps might be below zero, but the morning greeting/breakfast time feels like
summer...  

Curious about what all matter is made of? 
8th-grade scientist working on this question using hands-on/minds-on tasks.  
Ask them what they are discovering.  

Outright Vermont visited our school this past week.   Students met with Outright representatives during the school day.   Outright has been coming to HUMS over the past several years.  They specialize in training, LGBTQ+ and other definitions, gender vs. sex education, all while allowing time for questions and concerns to be communicated. Outright Vermont is a QSA which supports QSAs (queer straight alliances) in schools throughout Vermont (including ours at HUMS which is advised by Kendra Renz).  Pictured above, Mara Urban our Student Assistance Counselor, and Jen Dreimiller (not pictured) supported dialogue with our 8th grades about these topics.  

Since 1989, Outright Vermont has worked statewide to provide advocacy, education, and leadership development alongside queer and trans youth, and the adults in their lives. Their organizational model is built on:

Ensuring Vermont is a state where all queer and trans youth have access to resources they need to live brave, healthy, and authentic lives.
Commitment to anti-oppression the necessity for intersectional analysis across social identities beyond gender and sexuality.
Fostering healthy youth-adult partnerships to create mutual opportunities for growth, learning, and skill development.
Building queer, trans, and allied community who invest in our mission.

Curious about the US Civil War? These two 8th grade historians are
creating a "Rap Battle" between the ideals of
Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln...
Pictures are great - but sometimes do not tell the whole story.   

7th Grade mathematicians collecting data on which they construct
fractions as
numerical representations.   

Parent Career Fair Help: Wednesday, April 3
Part of planning for high school is getting students forward thinking. We would love your help in exposing students to a range of career opportunities. Here is the link to some details regarding this event Career Fair 2019
Sign up to participate here

CALENDAR UPDATE

February  2019

Feb 22- March 6	Winter/Town Meeting Break
Feb 15	Proposed Fun Night at HUMS More information to come

HUUSD School Board Meeting Update: January 23, 2019Dear members of our six town community,

At our last meeting on January  23, 2018, the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) Board took action on the four (4) items below (listed in order of the time in the meeting when the vote occurred):

1. Approved the following items as part of the consent agenda: Approve Minutes of 1/16/18, Accepted board warrants/voucher #1159 for $91,775.48
2. Approved the warning of questions to put before voters on town meeting day, including the school district expenditure of 38,600,862 and the allocation of $1,000,000 from FY2018’s fund balance to the district’s maintenance reserve fund.
3. Agreed to distribute two optional questions to all board members for information to include in a board manual (in a Google form).
4. Agreed to the vision committee communicating with Sue McCormack to discuss the formation of a visioning plan and timeline.

At this meeting, we also heard the first report from the Student Reps, and received updates from the following committees: Policy, Personnel, Asset Management, EPC (Harwood Bond), Vision.    

Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 pm and will be held in the Harwood Union High School library. Duration will depend on the agenda, which will be set by the Monday before the meeting. There will be committee meetings immediately prior, also in the library, starting at 6:00 pm. Committees generally alternate meeting times and meet every other board meeting. For more information on the SMART goals that drive these committees, check the HUUSD board web page.

Please visit www.wwsu.org/huusd-board for board agendas (including committees that are meeting), detailed minutes, HUUSD Smart Goals for the 2018-2019 school year, 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), Hannah Clark (Student Rep, class of 2019), Carlton Cummisky (Student Rep, class of 2021), Jill Ellis (Fayston), Gabe Gilman (Moretown), Linda Hazard (Moretown), Jake Lynn (Student Rep, Class of 2020), Garett MacCurtain (Duxbury), Maureen McCracken (Waterbury), Theresa Membrino (Fayston), Melissa Phillips (Waterbury), Torrey Smith (Duxbury), Alexandra Thomsen  (Waterbury), Rosemarie White (Warren), Rob Williams (Waitsfield)

 HUUSD School Board Meeting Update:  January 16, 2019

Dear members of our six town community,
Below please find the votes and key agenda items from the HUUSD board meeting on January 16, 2019.

1. Approved the following items as part of the consent agenda for December 19, 2018:  Approve 12/19/2018 meeting minutes; Accept board warrants totaling $708,085.77, approve board buddies for student representatives, authorize reporting in one segment for grade for grades 7-12, confirm announced FY 2020 tuition rate, approve Winooski Valley High School Choice agreement.

2. Engaged in in-depth discussion about HUUSD budget.

3. Moved to ask HUUSD administration to provide specific STEM amounts for CBMS and HUMS, so BOD will have details on time students spend in STEM classes at CMBS and HUMS, respectively.

4. Moved to accept EPC committee’s recommendation to direct HUUSD administration to determine if CBMS can “house” all 7/8 graders, as well as W/D 5th and 6th graders. Accepted the recommendation with an amendment to ask the superintendent to put initial calculations of what the administration already knows in writing to help the EPC determine next steps. BOD also directed EPC to determine list of variables to consider in determining operational expenses and/or cost savings.
Our next HUUSD board meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2019 at the HUHS library.

Please note this meeting follows our recently adopted HUUSD board agenda format, with the first hour spent with committees meeting individually from 6:00 - 7:00 pm.  The full board will come back together at 7:00 pm.
Please visit HUUSD for board packets, 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

Note from the Harwood Union

February 1, 2019

Greetings students and parents,

With the fall semester finished, we thought it was a perfect time to remind families of the academic support opportunities that are available for students.  Every course, grade 7-11, students have a non-negotiable expectation that all summative assessments listed in course syllabi are completed, and that all 9-10th grade students must obtain a minimum course score that falls within the Emerging range  (1.8 - 2.5), and 11th grade students course score that falls within the Proficient range (2.6 - 3.3). In order to support these achievement expectations, we are continuing to further develop our support/recovery offerings grades 7 - 12 including:

• Extended Learning Opportunity s (ELO) every other day on B days.
• After-school support on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3:00 - 4:45 pm
• Summer Support Session (more info forthcoming on this summer’s offerings)
• ELO-X, this is an opportunity for recovery and enrichment sessions within a regular school day (Feb 4,5).  

In these new ELO-X days, teachers will be offering recovery as well as a variety of enrichment choices.  Some are based on a current content area enrollment and others will be open to any student.  Students are encouraged to look for something they love and take the chance to do more of it.  Or, look for something to stretch them out of their comfort zone and give it a try. Students with missing work from a course will be assigned to specific recovery blocks and have a chance to be re-assessed and work toward meeting course requirements. A few important expectations about ELO-X:

• Students must sign up for all 4 blocks; they will be signing up in TA.  
• Active student engagement during this time is expected
• Attendance will be treated just like a class

Proficiency-Based Learning is based on clearly communicated expectations, in conjunction with the opportunity to revise and have additional time to demonstrate skill mastery in transferrable skills needed to succeed in post-secondary endeavors.  As always, we welcome ideas and feedback concerning our support system. Thank you for supporting Harwood student learning.

Duane Pierson

Lisa Atwood

Sam Krotinger