Gertrude E. Chamberlin School
Family Newsletter July 2020 Volume 14 Issue 1
Welcome to Kindergarten!
We are very excited to welcome you to our South Burlington schools for your child’s kindergarten experience! As you know, our typical kindergarten registration process was disrupted this spring due to COVID 19. We are working hard with our staff and facilities department to open our schools safely again in the fall. We have a district team and building teams that are working through this summer to make changes to our buildings and programs so we can provide the safest learning environments and follow COVID 19 guidelines from the Agency of Education and the VT Department of Health.
Since we are unable to have our regular screening process, we will do our best to create balanced kindergarten classrooms based on the information you provided on your online registration form, and information we received from preschools. In case your preschool provider did not have a chance to complete information about your child, we are providing the link to the survey if you would like to have them fill it out. If you are unable to reach your child’s preschool provider, please feel free to fill the survey out.
Here is the link to to the survey: https://tinyurl.com/ybk5t4o3
Our placement process will also be further delayed this year due to a very unusual budget process. At this time, we do not have an approved school budget, and the next vote may be as late as August 11th. This means there is uncertainty at all of our schools about the number of classrooms and the teaching positions at some grade levels. We know that we will all have to work together and be especially flexible this year given these unusual circumstances! We also know that our schools are wonderful places to learn and grow, and we can’t wait to have you join us for kindergarten! Information about placement and the start of the school year will be coming out to families mid-August. In the meantime, we hope you have a wonderful summer!
Your South Burlington School District Elementary Principal Team,
Kathleen Kilbourne, Rick Marcotte Central School
Holly Rouelle, Gertrude E. Chamberlin School
Mark Trifilio, Orchard School
Check out our Welcome to Kindergarten Video with your child for a virtual tour of our Chamberlin Kindergarten Experience
Preparing for the Reopening of School
While many questions remain about what school will look like in the fall, we wanted to reach out to inform you about one of the ways things will look differently. The State of Vermont has posted their Guidance for Reopening Schools, which indicates that “All staff and students are required to wear facial coverings while in the building, as well as outside where physical distancing cannot be maintained.” With this in mind, we know that it is very different to wear a face covering when visiting a store for a few minutes, than when your child has to wear a face covering for a full school day. This will take some getting used to, for all of us. Giving your child age-specific reasons for wearing a face covering/mask, meeting them at their level, and answering their questions can be very helpful in increasing their compliance in wearing a mask.
One idea of easing into the practice is by trying a strategy such as, “Mask wearing Monday,” where everyone in your family experiments with wearing the mask/face covering on Mondays for varying lengths of time. This gives children a chance to prepare for what a school day might feel like when we return to in-person learning. Consider encouraging teenagers to be role models for their younger siblings, by wearing their face coverings when appropriate, and helping younger children to understand the reasons for wearing a mask. Please also see, the tips below, from KidsHealth.org:
How Can Parents/Guardians Help Kids Wear a Mask?
Cloth face coverings (or a face mask, if you have one) on adults and kids over 2 years old can help slow the spread of the virus. Here are some ways to help kids wear masks when you go out:
Help kids get used to masks. As much as you can, give kids time to practice wearing their masks before they might need to wear one outside of your home. Teach them how to put them on and take them off.
Encourage kids to decorate their mask. This might help them feel a sense of ownership and control over the situation. A personal touch can help make it more of a normal part of their routine, and make it more likely they'll want to wear their mask. Depending on the type of mask, kids can draw on it with markers or put stickers on it.
Make them together. If you make face coverings at home, let older kids help you. There are no-sew masks that are easy to make, often with materials you probably already have (T-shirts, bandannas, etc.). If you sew masks, maybe kids can select the fabric or patterns for the masks they'll wear.
Help make it fun. With younger kids, introduce a sense of play. Kids can pretend to be a doctor or nurse while wearing their masks. They might want to use a doctor kit and "take care" of a stuffed animal or doll.
Have a few masks handy while kids play. This lets them use their imagination about how to use them during playtime. It also helps make masks a more normal part of their everyday world. You can ask your child to put a mask on a stuffed animal, and then ask follow-up questions about why the stuffed animal is wearing the mask. Depending on your child's response, you can clear up any confusion and offer reassurance.
There are so many designs and types of cloth facial coverings; take some time to experiment with what might work for your child. It is recommended that the facial coverings are washed between each use, so having a good number of facial coverings on hand will also be important. Here is a tutorial, from the CDC, on how to make a cloth face covering: both sew and no-sew instructions as well as how to wear and take off a cloth face covering. If you need additional information about facial coverings, see the CDC website.
Chamberlin Garden
Food Delivery Updates
South Burlington School District's Nutritional Services Department is committed to continuing to offer healthy, nutritious meals, free of charge, to all children 18 years of under, until Sunday, August 16th. Beginning Wednesday, July 1st, all meal distribution will be by bus only, 3 days a week. Drive thru pickup locations at schools will close. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, multiple days' worth of meals will be delivered together. For those of you that are not on a regular bus route and your children normally walk to school, we will add your address to the bus routes for meal delivery only and notify you in advance of the expected delivery time. Please contact Rhonda Ketner at 652-7160 or rketner@sbschools.net if you would like to received meal delivery by bus.
Lost Library Books
Growing Gardens, Growing Kids...Common Root's Education Garden
HI! My name is Kayli O’Donnell, I am the Farm to School Educator for your child as well as the Growing Gardens Educator/Gardener for Common Roots. If you have been to our Farm at South Village off Spear Street and walked around, you may have noticed the sweet 48 gardens tucked away near the yellow shed with children’s vibrant art. This is the educational heart of Common Roots Farm, Growing Gardens. It is a beautiful and fun place for children of all ages.
I am on-site from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday through Friday and would be happy to show you and your family around the space in safe distance. We can make and enjoy some self-harvested sun tea!
Are you supporting your children’s learning with their teachers? If you are interested in getting your kiddo’s outside to learn about gardening, ecology, and nutrition, reach out to schedule a day for your children to play and learn with me at Growing Gardens. This will not be a group experience, instead your visit will be restricted to one family (siblings or housemates) per day so that we can all stay safe. The Garden is stocked with hand sanitizer, hand washing stations, and sanitation for tools.
Let’s make a plan! Email me at: Kayli.odonnell@gmail.com Or Call: (603) 854-4411
New and fun features of the garden worth checking out:
· Human sized bird’s nest! Experience the shelter and home of a bird! Do some bird watching, we have lots of beautiful sky-friends here.
· Medicine Mound! Growing medicinal herbs in mounds is an old practice, one that Abenaki people who lived on the same land that the farm is now on once used! It is a sacred space for growth, like the belly of a pregnant mother. Come learn about herbal medicinal plants and take some home to try!
· Pole Bean Tee-Pee
· Clay making and shaping
· Observational nature art
I hope your child has enjoyed their Farm to School lessons!
Come visit our urban farm at 55 Allen Road East. Simply follow the signs. Oh yes, feel free to bring a few fruit and veggie scraps to feed the chickens next to the red barn.
The Common Roots Farmstand at South Village is NOW OPEN an additional 2 days a week - Wednesdays and Fridays.
So come on over today between 2:00 and 6:30pm! We are ready to serve you!!
Announcing Expanded Hours
Tuesday thru Saturday
2 – 6:30 pm
2 People may enter the Farmstand
Masks on
Hands washed
Convenient Online Ordering - Curbside pick-up available
Farmstand Team, Common Roots Farm at South Village
Chamberlin School
Email: hrouelle@sbschools.net
Website: https://vt01819219.schoolwires.net/Domain/10
Location: Chamberlin School, White Street, South Burlington, VT, USA
Phone: 802 652 7403
Twitter: @hrouelle