Happy Friday to all of our EMS families. I hope that you have been enjoying this beautiful weather.
I would like to address three topics in this newsletter: 3rd quarter report cards, updated Vermont covid guidance, and the potential for having all hybrid students become 4-day students.
We have begun the 4th quarter. Third quarter grades may be viewed online. In addition, you will receive a printed copy of the report cards in the mail. If your child received a grade of "Incomplete," please realize that the teacher has given this as a grade with the hope and intent that the student will finish any missing work. After three weeks, incomplete grades will either be replaced with the new grade earned or, in the absence of additional completed work, default to a grade of "F." If you see a grade of "Incomplete," please contact the teacher immediately to learn more about what needs to be done to resolve it.
Yesterday, Vermont released updated guidance for A Strong and Healthy Year. We are in the process of going through the guidance in order to ensure that we meet all the most current mitigation guidelines.
At the time of this newsletter, it has not been announced that all hybrid students will be transitioning to 4-day students. However, it is a possibility that we have been anticipating, and we have been preparing for the potential transition. Our amazing building services staff have moved furniture back into the classrooms. Our exceptional food service staff have made plans for increasing capacity. Our diligent teachers have been preparing for instructional shifts. One such example regards the classes that were previously only offered in a remote capacity; those teachers have met numerous times in order to identify ways in which their schedules can be integrated with the on-site schedule in order to give students as much access as possible. I will place their work below. When a concrete announcement is made, we will send an EMS-specific follow-up.
Please remain diligent about using mitigation strategies. Please take your child's temperature every morning. Also, if your child is ill, please keep your child at home. Throughout the pandemic, we have used the mitigation strategies to keep all students, families, and staff safe. We will continue to keep this at the forefront of our planning.
Thank you for your patience, your support, and the privilege of working with your child.
Sincerely,
James Kiefer
This is an example of how remote exploratory classes could be offered if the instructional model changes from hybrid to 4-day on-site:
Formerly Remote Exploratory Schedule
Explanatory Notes:
Spanish and French will be added as elective options for students during their exploratory blocks, running on an A/B schedule to increase access.
Band and Orchestra will meet for lessons 1-2 times per week.
Students currently participating in multiple music and language remote electives currently may not be able to maintain enrollment in all of them after Spring Break.
Students who elect to participate in these new in-person exploratory classes will need to opt out of a portion of their classroom pod’s exploratory class. For example, a student may choose to take Spanish on A days during their pod exploratory class rather than taking art; on B days, they could participate in art, or potentially enroll in a different elective, like a band lesson.
See more below.
Burlington School District Budget Survey
Last month voters approved the District’s budget for school year 2021-2022. BSD's leadership would like to take the opportunity to reflect on what went well during this budget development cycle and how we can continue to better distribute resources and information to the students and families who need them most. We hope you will take 5-10 minutes to complete a brief Equitable Budgeting Community Survey by Monday, April 26. If you need support completing this survey in a language other than English, please call Nijaza Semic at 802-288-6048 and we will be happy to assist you.
Health Happenings
Below is information about the new travel guidance from the ACCD website:
Travel: As part of Vermont's phased reopening plan, there is new travel guidance, effective April 9, 2021.
- Unvaccinated Vermonters who have traveled outside the state must be tested within 3 days of returning to Vermont. Learn more.
Unvaccinated people planning to visit Vermont must have a COVID-19 test within 3 days before arriving in Vermont. Learn more.
Rules for international travel are different. Learn more.
Masks are required in public spaces in Vermont.
Penguin Plunge!
The EMS Penguin Plunge is happening a little later than normal this year, but we are well on our way to reaching our fundraising goal! This year’s team was unable to jump into the lake in February because of Covid safety concerns, so we had a dedicated group of volunteers build a homemade Dunk Tank!
We will be having our final celebration and dunking of teachers and students on April 17th from 10am-12pm on the South Union side of Edmunds Middle School. All are welcome to come join and watch. If you would like to toss a ball to try to soak a teacher or friend, bring a dollar to donate!
If you cannot make it to our event but would like to donate to the cause, please visit our team page and help us reach our goal! The team page can be found here https://give.specialolympicsvermont.org/team/341704
Design/Tech Challenge
I wanted to thank all of you for sharing your 6th graders with me this quarter. The students' challenge was to design and build an electric vehicle in 18 days. During that time each student laser cut a chassis, 3d printed wheels, wired and soldered a circuit that controlled the vehicle's motor and LED lights, and installed a gear driven transmission. The code name for the project was the Speed Demon Design Challenge and the students each produced their own custom designed Electric Vehicle. I was very proud of the time and effort that they put into this project. I pushed them hard and they delivered some impressive results. See samples of their work below.
Eric Schoembs
Design and Technology
Summer Camp Opportunity
Camp Kesem is a Summer Camp opportunity for children who have a loved one who has or has had cancer. The following links provide more information about this heartwarming opportunity. If you would like to connect with someone from Edmunds first, please feel free to reach out. I am happy to answer any questions or find out more information for you.
Take Special Care,
Angela Halsted, SAP Counselor, Edmunds Middle School, ahalsted@bsdvt.org.
Website Link: https://www.campkesem.org/find-a-camp/camp-kesem-at-university-of-vermont (if you search Camp Kesem at UVM it's the first thing to show up)
Facebook Name: Camp Kesem at the University of Vermont
Instagram Name: Camp Kesem at UVM or @campkesemuvm
Contact Emails: vermont.outreach@.campkesem.org or vermont@campkesem.org
Phone Number: 802-489-6063
