The JJ Flynn PTO blog was created as a tool to communicate with Flynn parents regarding school/PTO events, volunteer opportunities and to greater connect the Flynn school community.
Hey There Flynn Families - Short week with lots going on... The first and second graders spend their last day at St. Joe's tomorrow with one final day of the Inquiry Fair. Tuesday will welcome all students back to Flynn school - no more noisy buses and compressed days... Parents are invited in to the Playground Celebration on Tuesday at 1:50. Mr. Clark will thank the many parents and community members that made this endeavor possible, share a slide show about our new universally accessible playground and then lead the kids and staff outside for a whole school photo (photo services generously donated by Ambient photography). Have a great week, safe travels and a lovely Thanksgiving/Hanukkah
The Thanksgiving Food Drive for Flynn families in need is wrapping up. Thank you for your generous donations. There are still some items missing that would be great to add to the baskets. Can you help with any of these fresh items? The following items would need to be dropped off in the office by 4pm on Monday to be included: 3 jars of gravy 2 bags potatoes 4 bags fresh carrots 4 Gallons milk 4 Fresh pies
Snow on the ground means that all students will need to be wearing snowpants, boots, hats and mittens during recess. Kids not properly suited will not be allowed out onto the snow and will have to stay on the sidewalk :(
If your child needs any of the above items, please check out the winter clothing swap located on the rack outside the cafeteria. There are lots of sizes to choose from! Can't find anything that fits? Let us know at flynnschoolpto@gmail.com and we will put out a call for certain sizes.
Dan's Photocard Fundraiser Kids brought home a handout at the end of the week with details about this low hassle, low pressure fundraiser. Tammy N. made an facebook event page for this fundraiser that you might want to share with your friends and family.
Universally Accessible Playground at Flynn.
Join us in an all-school assembly and celebration! Timeline of Events:
1:50: Opening remarks from Mr. Clark
1:55: Community appreciation
2:00: Playground slide show
2:15: All school aerial photograph on the playground! Rain Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2013
School Reform... Thought other parents might be interested in a really interesting TED Talk I recently heard. It is worth watching and thinking about how schools need to reach all children. If this sparks your interest, you might want to check out the Partnership for Change website and read about how Burlington and Winooski are moving towards Personalized Learning Plans for all high school students and what that might mean for your kids as they work their way through the Burlington School District. See links below:
In this conversation with Vicki Hoefle, she talks about encouragement. Encouragement implies faith in and Read More...
Save the date...
November 26 - All Flynn students back on one campus!!! November 26 - All School assembly at 2:15 November 27-29 - Thanksgiving break - No School! December 2 - Tom Sawyer Production Meeting - 7pm in library December 5 - PTO Meeting 6:30 in the library December 20 - Principal's Coffee, 8:30am December 23- January 1 - Winter Recess
Hey there Flynn families - Last week with kiddoes on two campuses... For some of you, this is just the norm at Flynn school. Get ready for the new and improved Flynn school reunion coming on November 26th! You are invited to attend an All School assembly on Tuesday, November 26th at 2:15 to help celebrate and dedicate the new, universally accessible playground.
Donations to the annual Flynn thanksgiving food drive have been trickling in. Trickling in might be generous… now is the time to really be generous! Your donation of Thanksgiving type foods/turkeys/grocery store gift cards will be greatly appreciated by Flynn families in need. Feast gift baskets will be assembled right before Thanksgiving break and distributed to Flynn families. Can you help? Donations can be sent into the office anytime between now and the Wednesday before school break – November 27th.
PTO Enrichment Dollars. Did you know that the Flynn PTO has budgeted $7,500 this year towards enrichment for our kids? (Total PTO budget this year is $17,500 ) Here is how we break down the budget so that all students get "equal" enrichment opportunities: $2500 towards Spring play (almost half of the play expenses) $2500 for K-2 Enrichment (this year all K-2 classes will go to the Flynn theatre) $1000 to the 3rd grade overnight to Camp Abnaki (to offset their fundraising and compensate for smaller role in school play) $1500 other experiences like Flynn Family nights, recess toys, VSO musical petting zoo
Want to peruse the budget with greater detail? Go to the Treasurer's Page on the blog for the latest.
Parenting Resource Library Tucked into the corner just under the TV screen is a fabulous resource in need of some serious attention. Have you poked around to see what is available in the Parent Resource Library?
Everything on those shelves are for YOU - Flynn families! There are parenting books -Including Duct Tape Parenting by Vickie Hoefle, multi-cultural picture books, cookbooks, books about divorce and death and learning styles. There are educational games galore to play at home! Your biggest problem will be deciding what to check out first! The link below will take you to the catalog of resources available. Browse around, come on in and check something out!
During the schoolday, take your stuff into the office and Karen Carr will sign it out to you. Afterschool, see Mandi or Elizabeth at the afterschool table and they will do the same.
Missy H. is a frequent visitor to the library - She recommends the game Dino Math Tracks- super family fun and a great skill builder!
Staff Appreciation breakfast this week for our fabulous Flynn folks. Thany you to the 2nd grade doing breakfast
VSO SymphonyKids Musical Petting Zoo
The VSO's SymphonyKids Educational Outreach program will visit Flynn classes K-5 on January 8,9. Visiting is a program called the Musical Petting Zoo. The "Zookeeper," Rebecca Kopycinski, brings a variety of orchestral instruments into the schools for a hands-on introduction to the VSO. After an explanation and demonstration of each instrument, the children get a chance to play on their own, under the supervision of “handlers.”
Don’t miss out on this fun-filled introduction to the world of classical music! When this event gets closer, we will be looking for parents to come in and help - no musical experience necessary.
JJ Flynn theater kicks off Tom Sawyer on December 2. Join us for the first production meeting of the season at 7 PM in the library. Don Wright will join us to talk about the play. We will discuss the production cycle, volunteer opportunities for parents and how we will pay for the play. The more the merrier - it takes a lot of parents to help support our young actors. (sometimes we even get parents helping who do not yet have a child in the play - it's that fun!!!) Students in grades 4,5 will be given speaking/singing roles while 3rd graders will join a chorus that performs several songs and dances during the show. Everyone is guaranteed a spot! Questions can be directed to Co-Production Managers Kate Belluche (akbelluche@aol.com) or Kim Hunt (kimberlyannhunt@gmail.com)
Speaking of Musical theatre...
All of our young actors will hone their skills in reading , memorizing lines,
interpreting lines, developing his/her character, time management, developing their focus and
flexibility, listening, speaking, observing, developing their stage presence,
cooperating, empathy, problem solving, trust, friendship, joy, pride, teamwork…
For some students who struggle everyday in their academics, acting in a play can be an important experience that allows them to shine on stage and see themselves as successful. Many children do not have the opportunity to be involved in plays outside of school and this is where they can discover hidden talents and a passion for performing. It really is a magical experience to watch children develop their voice and their characters under the direction of Don Wright. Many of these same students continue with musical theatre at the middle school and some even at the high school level. The majority of participants in Hunt plays like The Sound of Music, Grease and the Pajama Game came from Flynn school. AND, each year the middle school play has grown in numbers by leaps and bounds. This elementary play experience is wonderful for what it gives to our students now, but even more important is how it affects them going forward into those tricky adolescent years.
November 4-27 Food Drive (items can come in via backpacks and will be collected in the office)
November 21 - Principal's Coffee CANCELLED due to the 1/2 move November 21,22,25 - Inquiry Fair for Grades 1 and 2 at St. Joe's November 26 - All Flynn students back on one campus!!! November 27-29 - Thanksgiving break - No School! December 5 - PTO Meeting
Hey There Flynn Families- Hope you have recovered from the post Halloween candy stupor. I noticed that the discounted Halloween candy has been purged and all the Christmas candy has already been replaced it at the grocery store - enough already!!!!
We are having a great roll with the monthly PTO meetings - lots of families showed up early to share dinner, we had great attendance, ended before 8pm and many folks stayed late just to chat. I am so happy to see so many families investing in their school community. I may sound like a broken record, but schools and teachers alone cannot fix what is happening with student achievement - parents are a huge part of the solution. Get to know other parents, connect with your child's teacher, volunteer you time and SHOW your child how important school is to your family. I didn't make this up... check out the link below for more information.
In case you haven't been to a PTO meeting this year, it is never too late to start.... We are a super friendly group (if I do say so myself) and we have a great leadership team! Thank you Jessica, Heather, Sarah, Betsy, Tammy, Lisa, Claire and Graham for leading the troops.
Can/Bottle Drive at Merola's - No final tally yet, but it looks like we pulled in ~$150 including cans and the 10% that Merola's tacks on. Be sure to thank the folks at Merola's for their generosity next time you pop in. And thank you Mary Mitchell for organizing this for us!
Minutes from the November PTO meeting are included at the end of this blog post btw - someone left their coffee cup at the PTO meeting. It is washed - come retrieve it in the PTO mailbox!
Chilled to the bone? Check out our winterwear swap outside the cafeteria on the south side. There are lots of warm items to choose from... We are also accepting donations of winter gear that is clean and in good condition - all sizes and genders. HUGE thank you to Gadue's in the stripmall for providing us with so many coats to get our swap started!!!
Box Top updatefrom Denise Haggerty I have submitted the Fall submission of Box Tops. We raised $260 for this period. The check will arrive sometime in December. The next submission is in early Spring. I would love to increase our box top collections and set $300 as a goal for the Spring which means 3000 box tops. Please continue saving box tops and sending them in to school! If every student collects 10, we could reach 3650 or $365. Please consider trying to collect an average of 10 box tops between now and February! Ask your neighbors and friends as well. This is an easy way to support the PTO as Box Tops are on a variety of products you may buy regularly. Thank you! Denise Haggerty
Tips to Stop the Fighting!
Q&A with Vicki Hoefle
Question: I know many families who have kids that do not fight. Mine do. What’s the trick to stop the fighting?
Scenario: I have two kids (ages 9 and 6) who are very physical when they fight. I’ve tried to ignore it when I can, I tell them to work it out and it still continues. They kick, scratch, squeeze and hit one another on occasion. No one has gone to the ER but they have drawn blood.
Answer: The good news is, there is no trick.
Most families that have kids who consistently get along and do not demonstrate a high degree of physical fighting have one thing in common. They layer their strategies and create an entire system for raising respectful kids who know how to handle frustration and how to work things out without resorting to physical fighting. Why doesn’t every parent use this layering technique if it gets such great results? Because like anything worth having it can be difficult in the beginning. Here are a few tips to help you turn things around and stop the fighting.
Understand that most kids fight for their parent’s attention (no not always, but enough of the time that it’s a good place to start). What happens if you leave the room, or put headphones on? Do they follow you? Do they get louder? When they tattle, what is your response? Do you say – “Oh, wow. That doesn’t sound fun at all?” Or, do you start playing referee and trying to help them come up with ways to solve the problem. If you are involved in the back and forth, chances are good that some of the fighting is for your benefit.
It’s easy to say to kids “work it out” but who in the world takes the time to actually teach kids how to work through conflict? We used weekly Family Meetings to teach our kids the skill of conflict resolution, which included an emphasis on communication and it worked well. Ask a parent you see who has kids who get along how they taught their kids to work it out. It doesn’t mean the strategy will work in exactly the same way for you, but I bet you pick up a tip that you could try. There are great books out there to help as well. Start with Non-Violent Communication if you want to influence the entire family.
Focus your attention on the behaviors that you want to see more of. That doesn’t mean you praise those behaviors. It means you notice them, acknowledge them and let the kids know, that YOU know how hard it is to walk away from a fight or to forgive a brother who is bugging you or how helpful they are and how much you enjoy their company in the kitchen, etc. Remember that you get more of what you pay attention too, so if you want to raise kids who leverage their strengths and develop character traits that will last a lifetime, focus your attention and energy on those.
Fighting can easily become a way of life if you aren’t armed with multiple strategies for creating a peaceful and harmonious household. It is possible though and with some thought, it can be an exciting journey.
Question: What is your go-to strategy for teaching kids how to get along?
Public Forum on School Board Configuration under City Redistricting
Tuesday, November 12th, 2013
6 - 7 p.m.
Burlington High School Cafeteria
The Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee of the Board will hold a public forum prior to a Board discussion regarding the configuration of the School Board if redistricting in Burlington passes in March. The current proposal calls for an 8 Ward, 16 member School Board, increasing its current configuration by two. The Full Board will discuss this proposal at its meeting later Tuesday night and would like to hear from citizens about this or other proposals for Board configuration.
Flynn Elementary Holiday Card Fundraiser - Were you planning to order photo cards for the holidays??? If so, check this out first ! Take cards off your list, support a local company and send 40% of the cost back to Flynn school
We are partnering with Dan's to offer Flynn families and friends high quality holiday cards. (no, cards do not have a scratch and sniff chocolate smell - first question I asked!)
(remember...we successfully raised $6,000
for our universally accessible playground by selling chocolate last year with this company)
The best part: 40% of sales go directly to the PTO!
For samples, more information on ordering, specifications and pricing go to:
In September, the Burlington Board of School Commissioners reached out to residents with a desire to get input from voters on program priorities prior to making budget decisions. A community survey was conducted, asking what program priorities are in order to use that information to develop proposals for further public comment and input, with the goal of bringing greater transparency into identifying the values of the Burlington community for its schools. The Board and the District would like to extend their appreciation to all who participated in the Survey and who continue to be engaged in this process. The information gathered is being strongly considered and will help to inform upcoming budget proposals and decisions.
A wide variety of opinions were collected, with many creative ideas for programming changes. Specific priorities that were reflected in the data included funds for planning reconstruction of Burlington High School, equitable outcomes for all students, and redefining special education services, among several others. Suggestions for additions to programs included comprehensive course offerings, rigor and enrichment, co-curricular/athletics, and non-academic support for students. Suggestions for reductions to programs included non-academic support for students, management of instruction, and administrative services. Full data and analysis of the Budget Survey are available on BoardDocs, as attachments to the October 8th Full Board Meeting:
In October, the Survey data was reviewed by the Board and the Finance Committee, at the same time that financial goals were set for 2014-2015. A preliminary set of budget priorities was then developed at the administrative level, based on program priorities set by the Board, and presented to the Finance Committee on October 22nd.
On November 12th at 7 p.m. in the Burlington High School Cafeteria, the Board will convene to review the preliminary budget priorities as prepared for the Finance Committee. All are invited to attend this meeting and be part of the process. A budget proposal will be completed by early December and public input on the proposed budget will be gathered on December 16th and 19th. Per law, the budget will be finalized in early January for a March vote on Town Meeting Day. Future additional budget information can be found at:
November 4-18 - Food Drive (items can come in via backpacks and will be collected in the office)
November 21 - Principal's Coffee CANCELLED due to the 1/2 move November 21,22,25 - Inquiry Fair for Grades 1 and 2 at St. Joe's November 26 - All Flynn students back on one campus!!! November 27-29 - Thanksgiving break - No School! December 5 - PTO Meeting
November PTO Minutes
Flynn School PTO
November 7, 2013
Principal's Corner
We are done with construction. No Principal's coffee this month.
Invite to Nov 26th assembly in that afternoon around 1pm- everyone welcome. This
will be a celebration. Take photo around new structure. First day back from vacation regular
drop off. South cafeteria and north for others.
Security cameras close to being installed on the playground. Already installed in the front.
Waiting for other campuses to get theirs before our 2nd set in back.
Inquiry fair 21st-25th for St. Joe's during the move. Each grade will take two
field trips. There will be no choices just set in place for safety purposes.
Each student will get all aspects of inquiry. Classes are being kept in tact.
120 students skating at Leddy at one time. Trips to Echo and Burlington city arts and
Shelburne farms and Vermont community sailing center. A diverse group will be
with the students teaching various options. Check with your child's teachers.
Inviting PTO to contribute $250 for activities for students. Graham will bring to
finance committee. Will ask parents to contribute also.
Will need some parent volunteers.
Treasurers report
See updated report on main page of blog - click tab for link.
Fundraising on target.
Check on security camera allotment. Graham will get back to Betsy.
IRS -- 501 c 3 status: still waiting on status. Grants for plays can say on
hold.
Teacher mini grants-finalizing request form.
Books on bike??
Fundraising
Pasta dinner $600 good success. $172.55 went to the library. Other went into
general funds.
Holiday cards: personal cards for this fundraising. Get 40% of it. Goes right
to the families home. Can create own card. Will have Flynn logo. Blog and front
porch forum.
Wrapping paper FR for 2014: need a lead for this-Happy and Missy volunteered
Dan's Chocolates: doing earlier in the spring or around Easter.
Box tops leave in library or office or send in back pack.
Amazing 4-H kits---passed around ask Tammy for more information
Will put up thermometer in website and maybe in the school to track fundraising
Enrichment
K-2 all paid for Flynn theatre
Chess club are working on schedule Will start soon
Musical petting zoo-waiting on dates
Teachers doing mindfulness hoping to take video to share with parents.
Math club starting in upper grades- just rumor
Play has started-Kim working on grants, locking in dates for rooms, 1st Production
Meeting Dec 2nd 6:30 or 7 for parents of 3-5 students or even for younger
grades. Grade 3 do choir have own practices on stage for two performances.
Inquiry on girls on the run program-this is a spring program
Some teachers have individual blogs-this might increase. There might be privacy
issues with this.
Landscape/garden
UVM students came to explore. Two visits from Norwich on rain water capturing.
Norwich and uvm are talking about landscaping
Family fun nights
Any suggestions.
Will print out dates
FSP (family school partnership)
1st and 3rd Tuesday from 3:05 to 4:05
Parent resource center-need to be able to sign out at after school. Write up
reviews on the blog for parents to see.
Room parents
2nd grade November 19th breakfast items
December will be making ziti with meat and dessert for lunch from PTO. Will be a Wednesday or Thursday. Lisa will let us know.
Pictures are done. Retakes were completed. 31 were given free photo package. Photos
for playbill, CDs for teachers will 5th grade picture in spring.
Teacher suggestion box
Nothing in there
Outdoor swap: all set up. Load came from Gadue's and leftovers from last years.
Can we do something to acknowledge them? In the blog and card.
Open forum
Blog--waiting on email drop. Jessica will check with Karen on her data dump.
Black signs: afterschool program will do this
Last year for Kate--she does the blog then someone needs to come forward--any
takers??? Jon Dorwat volunteered!
Parent library: need to promote this year! There are items to be taken out and
need to be signed out with Karen. Parents can write up reviews---Missy will be
the first one.
Birchwood reading program. Great response from 1st and 2nd graders not so much
from upper grades. Happy will do earlier this year. Will look at twice a month
or more with different students. Go for 45 minutes with four to five students.
Christine L. volunteered. Birchwood has windows of availability. Graham suggested
looking at Everyone Wins for assistance.
Tetherball has an option for the playground. Suggesting to finance committee.
Worried about stealing of them. Recess toys: winter items are still available.
Cart needs to be cleaned. Can do it at school. Need balls.
Walk to School day-- can we promote this more often--year round? More bus
information so more children will ride. Alternatives to driving. Put on the
blog-bus route. John will write up information and experience regarding the bus
to go on the blog.
Rain days: help with younger children during those days until they know what to
do. Older children pushing the younger children. Graham noted the issue and
will continue to explore a plan for this to ensure the safety.
Looking for funding for fish tank. Students really enjoy the fish tank. Is
this for PTO? Mixed reviews.
Hey There Flynn Families - Thanks to all the families that participated in our bottle drive this weekend at Merola's. We'll update you as soon as we get the total. Wasn't it nice to get up in the light this morning? I'll take a little extra light in my life... Construction is starting to wrap up - the fences are down and the kids have the run of the back field again. It won't be long before all kids are back on the Flynn campus and then we are just "Flynn school" again. Why not pop in for the November PTO meeting on Thursday - we're a friendly bunch... Have a great week
November PTO meeting this Thursday from 6:30-8 in the library. Free childcare and light supper provided. We are off to a strong start this year - let's keep the trend going! The agenda is included at the end of this post.
Can/Bottle drive It was a great turn out Saturday for the Fall bottle drive and due to the generosity of Merola's they said we could leave the sign up for a few days to see if any more people would like to donate their deposits to the school. So...if you forgot or didn't make it to Merola's on Saturday, there's still time. Swing by and let them know you'd like to donate your bottles to JJ Flynn.
Mindfulness in the Classroom A number of Flynn staff are receiving training and classroom support for a mindfulness program. I have been hearing rave reviews from both staff and kids. Is your child in one of these classrooms? What have you heard? How is your child receiving this program? Teachers: Anyone want to share their experience thus far and maybe a video of their classroom mindfulness practice in action???
Flynn Food Drive starts this week. We encourage families to send in non-perishable donations of foods that can be used to stock Thanksgiving food baskets. (think Thanksgiving type foods and ingredients....) Gift cards to Hannaford of Price Chopper are also helpful to help round out food items not collected. Gift baskets will be assembled for Flynn families in need.
The weather has turned chilly and the annual outerwear swap is now set up in the cafeteria entrance (near Staff Farm) on the Flynn campus. All outwear is free for all Flynn families- please help yourselves to whatever you need to stay warm this winter! We also welcome donations. Please send in winter coats, boots, mittens, gloves, hats, and snow pants of all sizes - munchkin through adult. There are adults and younger siblings who need warm clothes too! Please send only CLEAN items in good condition. If you have items to donate, please bring them to the office at Flynn. Thank you!
To Bribe or Not to Bribe? No QuestionParenting insights from Vickie Hoefle*Take a look at the recent debate on the NY Times Opinions page and then read Vickie's response.
It took me three separate visits to the article in the New York Times Opinion Page, posted on October 28, 2013 in order to finish reading the article. At the end of each section, I hit the delete button and swore I wouldn’t read any more. But then I wondered – maybe there is an a-ha moment later in the article, and so I went back to read more. There was no a-ha moment, just an unabashedly boastful proclamation about one author’s use of bribes and rewards to manipulate her children. I can’t really describe how upsetting and confusing this article is for me. Don’t get me wrong, I understand this kind of article creates a real buzz out there in the world, just look at all the comments. But to paint such a disparaging picture of your own children and then share it with the world to what – boost subscriber-ship or ignite a fire storm of controversy? I have to be honest, I just do not get it. Here is what I find so distasteful about this article. 1. I am a mother who has raised 5 children. I can not for the life of me understand how a mother could show such little faith in her children’s innate desire to learn, master their environment, and contribute to the world in positive ways Oh sure, I know kids have long moments of apathy, disinterest and being less than cooperative, but for the most part, when a supportive parent provides a nurturing environment, kids get about the business of learning, mastery and contribution with very little coaxing from anyone. And I wonder, when her children are older, what they will think of this article and the lack of faith their mom had in them. Maybe they will understand and accept that it was her job or that she didn’t really mean what she wrote, but I have found, that you never know how a child is going to interpret a parent’s intention and I am not sure I would be willing to risk what is at stake here. 2. Does she really believe there will be a moment when her children no longer depend on bribes and rewards to do the unpleasant tasks we are all required to do as adults? Or are we, the unsuspecting public going to have to pay for her unwillingness to help her kids learn that sometimes, whether you like it or not, things need to be done and most people don’t care whether you do them with a smile or a pout on your face. That choice is entirely up to you. It seems her kids are missing out on a few critical skills that would make their adult lives far more rewarding, fulfilling and satisfying. But again, maybe teaching those skills is someone else’s job. 3. And finally, I shudder to think how many other parents will be influenced by her position and subscribe to the idea that bribing and rewarding children in order to manipulate them and make their lives easier is a reasonable proposition, and forget, that these kids are the future leaders of the free world. Maybe she doesn’t hold high hopes that her kids will have the grit, mental muscle or interest in becoming leaders who lead by example. I’m not really sure what the purpose of this article was – except maybe to piss a lot of us off, in which case, I think it worked brilliantly. But beyond that, I can’t see that it offers any real value to a parenting conversation that supports any of us in our effort to raise more thoughtful, resilient, responsible and respectful human beings.
Need a Job? Flynn parent Janet Coutrayer wants parents to know about a job opening at CHT. She says, "it could be great for moms or dads jumping back into the workplace or just because there is a lot of flexibility. It's a Home Education Counselor, but you don't have to have a counseling or lending background - basically anyone who would make a good counselor and uses those skills in their lives could make a good case. I now have a different position at CHT, but this is the job I took that moved me out of administrative assistant work to more direct service working with people." Might be interested? Contact Janet at harveycoutrayer@yahoo.com
Fifth Graders Ski FREE with the 5th grade Passport at SkiVermont Skiing and riding are magical sports and that can change lives, supporting healthier decisions and bonding experiences that can last a lifetime. There is no better time to fall in love with snow-covered mountains than during the final years of care-free adolescence. To help our youth get to the hills, we offer participating fifth graders up to 88 free days of skiing and riding at Vermont’s alpine and Nordic resorts. http://www.skivermont.com/events-and-deals/program-passport
UVM Kids & Parents research study is still looking for some families to participate in their study. Don't just talk about science - participate in a real life scientific study! You can also earn some cash for your time... If your child/family structure fits the criteria below you might want to participate. * Participants are needed for the Kids & Parents research study – a study at the University of Vermont about families. * We're looking for families to participate who have a 9- to 11-year-old child whose parents are married to each other. * The study involves two 2- to 3-hour lab visits approximately 2 weeks apart (Visit 1: mother and child; Visit 2: mother, father, and child). * Families will receive $100 for Visit 1 and $150 for Visit 2. * To learn more, please call 802-656-4722.
School Board holds Public Forum on Redistricting and Board Make Up
The Burlington School Board is seeking voter opinion of what the composition of the school board should be under the City’s proposed redistricting plan (number of Commissioners and term of office).
The Board’s Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee is holding a public hearing on Monday, November 4, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the library in Hunt Middle School, 1364 North Avenue, entrance off of Gosse Court.
The Ad Hoc Committee will present four school board configurations that the Committee supports for discussion by the public and invites the public to offer comments on any additional options.
To get to the Hunt MS library, turn left at the front office, walk down the hall then take your first right hallway and the door to the library is on your left.
CONTACT:
Miriam Stoll, Chair, Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee
Save the date... November 4-18 - Food Drive (items can come in via backbacks and will be collected in the office) November 7 - Picture re-take day for St. Joes and Flynn campus
November 7 - PTO meeting - 6:30 pm in the library November 21 - Principal's Coffee November 21,22,25 - Inquiry Fair for Grades 1 and 2 at St. Joes November 27-29 - Thanksgiving break - No School! December 5 - PTO Meeting
AGENDA
Flynn School PTO
Learning Center
November 7, 2013
Free Dinner and Childcare
6:15-6:30 - Come a little early if you want to enjoy a community style dinner and settle the kids into childcare.
Hey There Flynn Families - Exciting week ahead for the kiddoes (and all us big kiddoes!). Good luck trying to contain all the enthusiasm until Thursday night... Can't wait to see our munchkins all dressed up and parading around at Birchwood. Flynn school has been doing this for many years and the residents at the nursing home look forward to this special tradition. A little human kindness goes a long way - so fortunate that we get to spread a little joy.
Daylight Savings time Fall Back Bottle Drive this coming Saturday! Bring your returnables to Merola's on North Avenue, tell them that you are from Flynn school and that money goes to us for opportunities like trips to the Flynn theater, chess club, playground improvements, the school play... Tell your friends and neighbors - we're not too proud to ask for bottles/cans!
Can You Help?(yes, please!) Please contact Karen Carr if you can help put out school messages on the black signs OR if you might be able to come in to school and clean out the recess cart (recess toys need to be sorted, broken stuff tossed and a list of replacement toys compiled for the PTO to restock) Karen can be reached at kcarr@bsdvt.org
Halloween parade this Thursday at the Flynn Campus. Grades 1 and 2 will leave St. Joe's at 1:30 with costumes on. The parade begins at 1:50. Students will exit near the cafeteria out to Starr Farm Rd and the Birchwood Nursing Home. There will be an all school assembly following the parade just prior to dismissal. Parties are at the discretion of each teacher and if happening, will take place prior to the parade. Contact your room parents for more info regarding parties and whether they need volunteer help in the classroom. Parents are welcome to come for the parade at 1:50 on the South side of the school (Starr Farm side). As always, school costumes cannot be terribly gory (save those for the evening) and there is no makeup at school or devices of torture/violence (sabers, toy guns, scythes, daggers, swords...)
Fundraising Success at Flynn thanks to YOU! The Meadow Farms fundraiser netted $4,923 to fund PTO initiatives this year. As well, families have contributed $831 so far for Pay It Forward fund.
As always, the Book Fair and Pasta Dinner enjoyed a huge turnout last week. On the Dinner end, a big public thank you to the following folks who organized, cooked, cleaned, moved tables, collected money and donated their time to pull off a successful dinner yet again this year:
Janet Green, Tammy and Jon Kuypers, Scott Hook, Kate Wheeler, Kate Belluche, Betsy Ward , Miranda Purvis, Lisa Tulkop, Shanta Eastman, Karen Carr, Mary Mitchell, Jessica A. Foerst-Bilodeau and Jon Ward.
More thanks to the families that donated the raw materials for the dinner and yummy stuff for the bake sale. Your generosity allowed us to turn a profit of $650. Of that, $166 from the bake sale will go to the Library Staff to purchase items for their reading nook. Yay for us - we win all around - books, food and fellowship and an inviting place for our kids to read! Don't Miss this!!!Burlington/Winooski Partnership for Change: Community Learning ConversationSaturday, November 2, 2013
IMAGINE A SCHOOL SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR ALL LEARNERS
Winooski and Burlington are remodeling the education system to ensure that all learners will be successful- and that both communities will be strong and dynamic in the years ahead. We’re moving toward a more personalized learning environment that puts students at the center. Come help us envision a school system that allows all of our young people to reach their learning potential, meet their college and career goals, and contribute to a brighter future for our community. All voices are welcome!
9:30 Welcome Reception, Coffee and Pastries Served 10:00 Large Group Presentation 10:50 Student-Led Small Group Discussion 12:00 Lunch
CHILDCARE available at no cost to participants for children ages 3 and up. Please RSVP by email to info@partnershipvt.org
INTERPRETATION provided in Nepali, Burmese, French, Kirundi, Swahili, Somali, Maay Maay, Arabic, and Vietnamese. Burlington Graduate Expectations (just a preview of one of the new things you might learn about at the above meeting on Saturday...) After several months of shared learning, engaged conversation, and deep thought on the part of students, educators, parents, business leaders, and community partners, the Partnership for Change is excited to share the Graduate Expectations for Winooski Middle/High School and Burlington High School.
Graduate Expectations are the habits, skills, and knowledge that our community decides are most important to the success of all students in college, careers, and civic engagement. These are proficiency-based Graduate Expectations, meaning students must demonstrate that they have learned each one in order to graduate. For more than 100 years, Burlington and Winooski schools, along with most schools across the country, have measured students’ readiness for graduation according to seat-time or how many classes they have taken in each content area. But our world has changed significantly over the past century. In moving toward proficiency-based Graduate Expectations, we can ensure that our young people are fully prepared for the rapidly changing, complex world they will soon inherit. Our Process
Our journey toward Graduate Expectations began back in December 2012 with 35 neighborhood learning conversations that engaged more than 400 students, teachers, parents, and community members in a conversation about what our graduates need to succeed. Participants in these conversations helped to generate a list of 19 possible Graduate Expectations. On February 2, 2013, more than 300 Winooski and Burlington residents gathered in the Burlington High School cafeteria to learn about the work being done to redesign our schools and to rank which of the 19 Graduate Expectations were most important to them.
In March 2013, two teams of diverse stakeholders-one in Winooski and one in Burlington-were formed with the charge of delving deeper into this work. Guided by Sarah Bertucci, the Partnership’s Personalized and Proficiency-Based Learning fellow, each team combed through the community’s input and relevant research to create first drafts of Graduate Expectations for each city.
This spring, these drafts were shared widely with the public at a second round of 32 neighborhood learning conversations and on the Partnership’s website. We asked the community to provide feedback on the drafts as well as to help us envision how students might learn and demonstrate these Graduate Expectations in our schools. Between the online feedback form and the neighborhood learning conversations, nearly 150 people provided input on the draft Graduate Expectations for Winooski and another 250 provided feedback on the Burlington drafts.
Over the past two months, the Winooski and Burlington Graduate Expectations (GX) teams reconvened, once for a cross-district work retreat and later as individual teams, to finalize the drafts of Graduate Expectations for each city. Although the GX teams took the lead on analyzing the data, synthesizing the research, and writing the drafts, these Graduate Expectations are truly the product of our entire community’s best thinking and hard work. Next Steps
While these drafts are exciting steps in our process, the journey toward proficiency-based Graduate Expectations in Winooski and Burlington schools does not end here.
“It is critical to understand that these Graduate Expectations are not going to be carved in stone and forgotten,” Sarah said. “There will be continued opportunity for learning, reflection, and feedback about these Graduate Expectations and their implementation next year.”
To start, during this summer’s School Development Institute (SDI), WMHS and BHS faculty will explore and plan how to incorporate the Graduate Expectations into their teaching next year. In July, a group of educators, students, and community partners will visit Eagle Rock School in Colorado to learn from their exceptional example of proficiency-based education. Then, throughout the 2013-14 school year, the Graduate Expectations will be piloted in certain lessons, classes, and programs, beginning with those areas in which students are already learning these critical habits. In conjunction with these pilots, the Partnership will continue to support targeted research and reflection. From this learning, we will be able to add more detail to the Graduate Expectations, particularly about what each means and encompasses.
As the work moves into the piloting and implementation phases, the Partnership will again turn to all of Winooski and Burlington’s parents, teachers, students, business leaders, and community partners for engagement and input. This confidence in the wisdom that exists within our own community is what gives our work the power to endure. With the continued participation of the whole community in the school change process, we can ensure bright and prosperous futures for our young people and, in turn, our cities.
October 31 - Halloween parade to Birchwood Nursing Home - 1:50 pm - Students will exit for the nursing home out the back doors adjacent to the parking lot on Starr Farm. All students will be at Flynn for the parade. November 2- Flynn Bottle drive at Merola's!(9am-5pm) November 2 - Partnership for Change - Community Learning Conversation - Winooski HS November 3 - Daylight Savings - set those clocks back an hour! November 7 - PTO meeting
Visiting is a program called the Musical Petting Zoo. The "Zookeeper," Rebecca Kopycinski, brings a variety of orchestral instruments into the 
