Harwood Middle REMOTE LEARNING update, 3/30/20

HUMS Remote Learning

Hello HUMS Families; 

As of last week Governor Scott informed us that all Vermont schools would continue "Remote Learning' for the remainder of the school year.  This serious and heavy decision was based on an understanding that social distancing is and continues to be a necessity given the Covid-19 crisis we find ourselves in.  To the best of our ability we continue to explore resources and plan lessons that can be delivered digitally to keep our students engaged in during this time. Our mindset in preparing lessons and tasks continues to be “flexible and patient”. As you can imagine, this shift to online instruction & learning continues to be a  massive project, representing collaborative work on the part of many. We are attempting to balance the need for structure, clarity and a commitment to continued learning, while acknowledging that this new remote classroom environment has limitations. We are working hard to create a Remote Learning environment where students can successfully become Caring, Curious and Connected learners. We miss our students terribly and look forward to when we be with them again.

Motivational Mondays

(click on this link, then download our 3/30/30 staff video to our HUMS students)

Link: HUMS Motivational Monday 3/30/20

To assist us with connecting with our greater community we are asking our students to send to Mr. Pierson, dpierson@huusd.org, pics of creative ways students are continuing their connections to learning (their desk area, activities they are working on at home, perhaps a unique experience they are having while a home) We have that you send the picture with a brief description for sharing purposed on the blog.

Important Information and Links

We Need Your Feedback on Remote Learning

The HUUSD leadership team would like to receive feedback on how your experience with our "new" Remote Learning system has been.  Information gained from our students, staff and parent/guardian community will be utilized in adjusting our current working delivery model for the remainder of the school year.  Please take a minute to complete this survey.  HUMS students will receive this survey link via an email message as well as on the daily HUMS slideshow.  

Survey link for parents and guardians:  Parent survey on HUMS remote learning 3/30/20

*Middle School REMOTE TA SlideShow Link -The slide show continues a host of links and updates for students, staff and families that support HUMS's remote learning school.  The slide show provides both 7th and 8th grade team learning HUBs and a weekly calendar indicating teacher office hours, online meetings and events.  It is a great way to start the day for your student.  

LINK:  HUMS REMOTE daily slide show 

*Having Trouble with your chromebook?? 

Contact hutech@huusd.org.for assistance.  Our tech crew will assist you.  

*Experiencing conflicts/concers with classmates?   

Harwood Union's Student Support Team would like to help!   Please click on the link below and follow the prompts if you feel you need to report these concerns to to our team.  This link is specifically for use by students and parent(s)/guardian(s)  

Link: Parent(s)/Guardian(s) intake report for concerns

*Resources (more links coming soon)

Mad River Valley Community Fund short term assistance link:  The MRVCF created a short form application in response to a variety of Covid- 19 concerns and challenges we face as a community. In an effort to bridge the gap between layoffs and receipt of unemployment benefits we have created an expedited financial support process. Please click on the following link and select submit when finished entering your information.  Rebecca Baruzzi, the program coordinator, will be in contact with you regarding your application.Link: https://forms.gle/QA27oXMFDeRsMFZN9 

Harwood Middle School Update, March 8, 2020

HUMS assembly band practicing
for our student led assembly later this month.
Harwood Middle School has held many student led community meetings
this year in our new gallery space.  We are excited to
host our next one in the Harwood Auditorium. 

Harwood Middle School readers hard at work?
Curious about what they are reading for Stop Drop and Read times -
ask they as a conversation starter at home..   

Incoming 9th Grade Parent Night

Thursday, March 19th

6:00-7:30pm

HU Auditorium

Important topics to be covered:

Overview of the 9th Grade Course Registration Process,

Introduction to the Next Step Program & Flexible Pathways,

Overview of 9th Grade Supports

Questions? Contact Erin Dezell 802-583-8149/edezell@huusd.org or Jen Dreimiller at 802 - 583 8155/jdreimiller@huusd.org

Great Friends Connecting during Recess
Not everyone likes their picture taken.. 

HUUSD Combined Band Concert 

7pm-9pm, 3/10/2020 Harwood Union 

Middle School Spring Sports sign-ups are open! In the Spring, at Harwood, we will be offering MS Softball, MS Baseball, and MS Track & Field. These options are open to anyone in grades 7 and 8. 

The Preseason Meeting, where Students and Parents can meet their Spring Sports coaches, will be held on March 12th in the Harwood Auditorium.

Please sign-up ASAP at this link: MS Spring Sports Sign-Ups.

7-8 Middle School Dance at CBMS 
March 13, 7:00- 9:00 

COVID-19 Update
Dear HUUSD Families,

Here is the latest update regarding our district management of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has established geographic criteria for the purpose of issuing travel health notices for countries with coronavirus transmission. Currently, the following four countries are identified as having “widespread sustained (ongoing) transmission”:

China

Iran

South Korea

Italy

If your child(ren) traveled to one of these countries over the February break, and you haven't already notified the district, you must complete this Google form immediately. In addition you must provide the Vermont Department of Health with your contact information so they can follow up with you on your health status. Please note that the Department of Health is directing that returning travelers whose last day in China, Italy, South Korea, or Iran was March 4 or afterwards should stay home and monitor their health for 14 days after returning to the United States. Travelers returning from Japan should monitor their health for 14 days after returning to the United States.

HUUSD is following the Vermont Department of Health guidance. If you self-quarantine during the 14 days, which begins when you return from the destination, no medical certification shall be required during this incubation period. Children will be excused for these days absent. Staff will be permitted to use sick leave for these days. Direct any questions regarding leave to the building administrator.

If a child or staff has traveled to one of the countries mentioned above (prior to March 4 return) and returns to school, they will be required to check in each morning before school with their school nurse throughout the 14-day incubation period. This monitoring accompanies daily monitoring done by the Vermont Department of Health.  

Any student, regardless of travel history, who presents with the symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough, AND difficulty breathing), shall be isolated and parents/caregivers will be asked to pick up their child and contact their health care professional for an evaluation.  Staff presenting with these symptoms are asked not to come to work and to contact their health care professional for further guidance.

The district cannot mandate staff who have traveled and are asymptomatic not to come to work or students not to come to school. Following the direction of the Vermont Department of Health, we are monitoring all students and staff for symptoms of coronavirus. You can find our working response plan here; we will update it as new guidance is provided. 

If you have any questions, please reach out and let me know. 

Sincerely,

Brigid Nease

Superintendent of Schools

Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend.
Don't forget to "spring forward" and turn your clock ahead one hour today, "Sunday"  

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.

SCHOOL VACATION ADVENTURE DAY CAMP | AGES 11-14

We believe that hands-on education in an outdoor classroom is fundamental to the healthy development of self, citizens and communities. This camp occurs during the local school vacation week in April and integrates leadership development, team building, nature studies, outdoor living skills, and team building into a FUN educational experience. Daily activities include nature walk and spring plant identification, outdoor herb medicinals, fire making, natural horsemanship class, and horse care/grooming. This camp is all about exploring and discovering adventure – inside and out. contact us at questions@horsesandpathfinders.com

TDI Summer Camp 2020!  Parents and teachers--do you have an advanced, gifted, or creative child, entering grades 4-9, who would love to have fun with intellectual peers this summer, while exploring a wide variety of topics?  Consider sending them to the Talent Development Institute (TDI Summer Camp) 2020!  A sample of our classes includes: Computer Game Design, The World Outside, Fabric Arts, Writing and Laughing, Rube Goldberg Machines, Almost History, Gravity-Powered Catapults, Digital Design, The Game of Civilization, Gathering Magic, and Powerful Podcasts!  TDI Summer Camp takes place on the beautiful campus of Northern Vermont University, Johnson, Vermont.  Students may come for one or two weeks, June 21-27 and/or June 28-July 4, 2020.  There are overnight and commuter options, and partial scholarships are available. For more information, go to https://tdivermont.org/ or email lucy@tdivermont.org.           

Mad River Glen's Skiing for Scholars Program Free all-mountain lift tickets for students from 2-5pm, includes free ski, boot, and pole rentals(helmets not included). Parent or legal guardian must be present to sign forms. In addition there is a  free Learn To Ski program featuring two 3-week sessions with Mad River Glen Ski School instructors.  The Learn To Ski program is for new skiers only.  Sessions are March 13,  20 , 3:30-5pm.  Pre-registration is required, call 802-496-3551 ext 135 or email skischool@madriverglen.com. There is also a free "Fast Start", 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 3:30-4:30, meet at the flag pole. To learn more visit: www.madriverglen.com/skiing-for-scholars-program.

TRIP Dance Company Performance  Come watch  TRIP’s passionate, competitive, local dancers hit the stage at Spruce Peak Performing Art Center on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at 7pm. During the year, the dancers attend some of the industry’s leading dance competitions where they take challenging classes, learn new choreography, and get inspiration from the innovators and well-known choreographers of the dance industry.  The Company will perform a variety of dance genres, all of which will be certain to entertain.  Hope to see you there.  See link below to view available seats, starting at $16 per ticket.TRIP Dance Company Performance - Spruce Peak Performing Arts

Little League Softball and Baseball Registration Mad River Valley Little League provides a safe and fun environment for Boys and Girls(Ages 4 to 12) to learn and develop the love for Baseball and Softball.  Developing essential life skills of working in a team environment all while having a blast and building life long friendships.  Registration is now open online at  www.madriverbaseball.com.  Take advantage of early registration discounts now through March 10th. Reach out to mikenagle23@comcast.net if you have any questions regarding our Programs.

Everybody Wins Pizza & Game Night March 12^th 6-7pm in the Waitsfield School gym.  All Everybody Wins families and mentors are invited to this free pizza dinner and game night.

Harwood Middle School Update, March 2, 2020

HUMS SCRIPP’S SCHOOL-WIDE INDIVIDUAL SPELLING BEE

On Monday, February 17th Harwood Union Middle School held its 17th Annual Scripp’s Spelling Bee School-wide competition.  The bee was open to students in grades 7 & 8 who qualified through preliminary rounds conducted by their English Teachers during ELO blocks last week.   

This year’s bee participants included: Seventh Graders: Christopher Cummisky, Estella Peterson & Elsie Pawul.  Eighth graders: Madison Henry (who qualified but was absent for the competition), and former HUMS VPA Spelling Team members Solveig George and Poppy Woods.

After 7 rounds of intense competition it came down to a match between Christopher and Solveig for the championship title!  The two battled it out to the ninth round where Solveig pulled ahead with the correct spelling of “Equinox.”

Congratulations to Solveig George, our HUMS Spelling Bee Champion!  Solveig will join school champions from across Vermont at the State Spelling Bee Competition on March 17 at St. Michael’s College. 

HUMS teacher advisory groups
spend the day before our break getting to know new friends while
sorting out a giant Jenga Game 

Dear 8th Grade Students, Parents, and Guardians, 

With the halfway mark of the school year behind us, it is time to start thinking about the transition to Harwood Union High School next year. Harwood staff are working to make this transition process a smooth one. Below are important upcoming events and information related to the transition to High School that require your attention over the next couple of months. 

Thursday, March 12th, at 10:00 am all 8th-grade students will attend a program of studies review led by Tara Cariano and Erin Dezell, the two 9th grade School Counselors. Students will bring home a Program of Studies which you can review with them. 

On March 17th at 10:45 am, our 8th graders will gather for a second time to learn about the Next Steps Program and Flexible Pathways available to them in High School. This presentation will be led by Ellen Berrings and Rachael Potts. 

Parents and guardians should plan on attending the Incoming 9th Grade Parent Night on March 19th at 6:00 pm at Harwood Union in the auditorium. At this event, you will gather some general information about your child’s transition to 9th grade, including information about the registration process, the Next Step Program, and Flexible Pathways. 

During the morning of March 23rd, HUMS Students will be registering for their 9th-grade classes during their Social Studies class. This process will be guided by Tara and Erin. 

Students who review the Program of Studies with parents and guardians prior to these registration meetings will find this process quick and easy. Because Parent/Guardian input is important, we have included a link to the Program of Studies that can be viewed from the Harwood Union High School web page. 

If you have questions about the transition process, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Sincerely,

Jen Dreimiller

HUMS School Counselor

jdreimiller@huusd.org  

Dear HUUSD Staff and Families

HUUSD Board  Update

     

At Town Meeting day this year, the HUUSD School Board will be asking voters to approve a nearly $40M budget to operate our seven campuses next year and to transfer nearly $2M into the district’s long term maintenance reserve fund. 
Details about the district’s work and finances from the last year as well as our plans for next year are available in our Annual Report. Our annual meeting will be held on Monday, March 2nd at 6PM in the Harwood Library. As for any of our meetings, community members are warmly invited to attend.
This has been a particularly challenging budget year that has played out over months of public meetings. We know that community members have a range of budget-related questions and we have put together a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document, which we invite you to peruse. We hope it will provide some detailed context for the difficult decisions faced by the Board -- and by our community.

Respectfully,
Caitlin Hollister, Board Chair,       
Torrey Smith, Board Vice-Chair

Coronavirus Update

We would like to provide you with three information sources about coronavirus. Our HUUSD schools will continue to follow the ongoing guidance being provided by the Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont Department of Health. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school nurse and/or building principal. 

Best Regards,

The HUUSD Administration

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/preparing-individuals-communities.html

https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-memo-french-covid19-guidance.pdf

https://vermont.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d01e01e425fa1e66c26167761&id=df15f041b2&e=13b7695c9b

Middle School Merger Update;

As Town Meeting Day approaches, we would like to take the opportunity to shed light on the work happening around the transition to one Middle School, and speak to concerns that the middle school will not be fully ready for learning come this August.  The idea of one middle school is not a new one, and a good amount of thinking and planning on this notion has been happening for a number of years. When the HUUSD school board adopted the budget in late January, we began to create both short and long term plans to establish an exceptional HUUSD middle school for all of our students.      

Recently, the HUUSD administrative team was able to identify the specific staff members who will be working at CBMS next year.  This proved no small feat, as seniority, licensure, and the union contract made this a multi-layered task. In our schools, we lean heavily on shared leadership and decision making, and now that staff members have been identified, we can begin that shared decision making work in more detail.  Our next step is to form three new, balanced grade 7/8 core teams. We have sought input on this from teachers, and the decision as to who will staff each team will be made shortly.

To assist with the merger of the two schools, we have established three transition leadership groups.  One is focused on the overall transition to one middle school, one is focused on finalizing a master schedule for the school, and one is focused on the student-centered view of the transition and getting student voice and leadership into the planning.  Once the new 7/8 teams have been identified, those teachers will begin work on team names, team norms, team traditions, and the general nuts and bolts of how the team will function. We strongly believe that by working together we will be ready to greet students for an excellent year of learning.  

This past week we identified the location of the annex, which will house four classrooms and office space.  One next step is to determine room assignments for all teaching staff, and this will be a task for the leadership team.  In March, the two middle school principals and the two middle school counselors will be visiting the four Valley elementary schools and HUMS in order to begin the conversation with students who will be coming to CBMS for the first time in August, and a similar visit to TBPS will happen later in the spring.  All students will participate in step up day on the CBMS campus at the end of May. 

We understand that the upcoming changes and transitions may be challenging for some.  We want to reassure our community that we will work tirelessly and in partnership with our staff to create an excellent middle school for our middle school students.  While the work between now and August will be significant, please rest assured that we will be ready to welcome our students with a school that cares deeply about learning and each other.     

Respectfully,

Tom Drake & Duane Pierson

HUUSD Middle School Principals

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.


Mad River Glen's Skiing for Scholars Program Free all-mountain lift tickets for students from 2-5pm, includes free ski, boot, and pole rentals(helmets not included). Parent or legal guardian must be present to sign forms. In addition there is a  free Learn To Ski program featuring two 3-week sessions with Mad River Glen Ski School instructors.  The Learn To Ski program is for new skiers only.  Sessions are February 14, 21, 28, and March 6, 13,  20 , 3:30-5pm.  Pre-registration is required, call 802-496-3551 ext 135 or email skischool@madriverglen.com. There is also a free "Fast Start", 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 3:30-4:30, meet at the flag pole. To learn more visit: www.madriverglen.com/skiing-for-scholars-program.

TRIP Dance Company Performance  Come watch  TRIP’s passionate, competitive, local dancers hit the stage at Spruce Peak Performing Art Center on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at 7pm. During the year, the dancers attend some of the industry’s leading dance competitions where they take challenging classes, learn new choreography, and get inspiration from the innovators and well-known choreographers of the dance industry.  The Company will perform a variety of dance genres, all of which will be certain to entertain.  Hope to see you there.  See link below to view available seats, starting at $16 per ticket.TRIP Dance Company Performance - Spruce Peak Performing Arts

Host Home Needed for Spanish Exchange Student CIEE (Council for International Educational Exchange) is working with a fantastic exchange student, Pablo from Spain, who is currently attending Harwood Union HS. He has been living with a great host family but due to some unforeseen circumstances, are no longer able to host. We are eager to find Pablo a great new host family to continue his Spring 2020 semester at Harwood Union HS. Would you, or someone you know, have a space in your heart and home for Pablo?
Host families come in all shapes and sizes; retired, older children and younger children, single parents, single persons, or couples with no children.  Host families live in apartments and houses and students can share a room with someone of the same gender within 4 years of age.  A person can choose to host for a few months or the school year. A host simply puts another plate on the table and welcomes the student as one of their own! Students can take school transportation, walk, or carpool. Visit www.ciee.org/host for more information on hosting or contact Audra Murray at 207-210-3753 or 207-553-4000.


Little League Softball and Baseball Registration Mad River Valley Little League provides a safe and fun environment for Boys and Girls(Ages 4 to 12) to learn and develop the love for Baseball and Softball.  Developing essential life skills of working in a team environment all while having a blast and building life long friendships.  Registration is now open online at  www.madriverbaseball.com.  Take advantage of early registration discounts now through March 10th. Reach out to mikenagle23@comcast.net if you have any questions regarding our Programs.

Everybody Wins Pizza & Game Night March 12^th 6-7pm in the Waitsfield School gym.  All Everybody Wins families and mentors are invited to this free pizza dinner and game night.