The Bobcat Bulletin

Dear Families and Caregivers,

December is a very short month! We have been busy learning and growing.

Many students have taken been "hired" for student jobs. From morning announcers to recycling collectors, our students are taking their jobs very seriously. Student council is up and running, and they have amazing ideas to improve our school. Each grade level is working on something slightly different, and their work will be shared at our next schoolwide meeting in January.

Next week, we will have some schoolwide fun on Wednesday with a celebration in the morning following our December read-in. On Thursday, the EMS Flying Submarine band, EMS Chorus and Orchestra will visit us for a special concert.

I hope you all have a restful winter break, coming very soon! Families and caregivers - we can't thank you enough for the support your provide our students, every moment!

Sincerely,

Sara Jablonski

FMS Principal

sjablonski@ewsd.org

802-879-6326

We held a schoolwide morning meeting in early December to continue connecting as a school community. After a third grade student shared a greeting in Spanish, we talked about the importance of everyone in our school community being seen and heard. Specifically, the focus of this assembly was to introduce shared learning to build an understanding of vocabulary to use around gender identity. This information is available in the world around us, and it's important for children to have access to words that are grounded in information rather than hearsay.

We introduced the book, It Feels Good to Be Yourself, which was read aloud to classes during a guided library lesson. This lesson was followed up by discussions about gender roles and a deeper discussion about acceptance and belonging.

At FMS, we spend time learning about identity and empathy in our classrooms, during guidance and SEL lessons, as well as in many other learning spaces around the school. This work is critical to building community and understanding others. It is woven into everything we do and learn at school.

Our students have had amazing conversations about understanding each other and show great empathy toward others. This work is critical in building trust and understanding and making sure that all children are seen and heard.

This week, we continued our community building and learning together during SEL time with a schoolwide read - all at the same time! We read the book Say Something! by Peter Reynolds, focusing on the main idea that all voices need to be heard. Voice also comes through in different ways: words, actions or creativity. As the year moves forward we will be shifting our focus from using our voice to help others and the world to using our voice in advocating for ourselves and what that looks like.

Family Photo Wall: Update!

We have been receiving many photos for our family wall! If you would like to have your family photo included and you haven’t sent in a family photo please either send a hard copy in with your student or email it to April Lambert, SEL Coach, at alambert@ewsd.org. They will be put up over break and as they come in after that.

Dear Founders Families,

This week I submitted an Influenza Like Illness Outbreak Report to the Vermont Department of Health. We are experiencing high volumes of illness (> 10%) of our Founders Learning Community.

The flu is a highly contagious respiratory disease that usually affects people during the winter and spring months. It is spread person-to-person by coughing and sneezing, or by touching contaminated surfaces. It can be spread before a person even shows symptoms.

Symptoms of the flu include: fever, headache, chills, body/muscle aches, dry cough, and sore throat. A person may also experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but those symptoms alone without any respiratory symptoms are often caused by another disease.

Here are some ways to keep your family and others healthy this flu season:

1. If your child is sick, keep them home from school.

• If they vomit, have diarrhea, and/or a fever (> 100) they should stay home until these symptoms have resolved for over 24 hours AND they are feeling better.

2. Practice good hand hygiene.

• Scrub all surfaces of hands with soap for 20 seconds and then rinse and dry.
• Use hand sanitizer.
• Wash before you eat or prepare food, after using the bathroom, after playing with pets, and when hands are visibly dirty.

3. Always cover your cough and sneeze.

• Perform routine surface cleaning of commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, desks, computer equipment, etc.
• Flu virus can remain on surfaces for up to 48 hours.
• Common household cleaning products can kill the flu virus.

4. Get a flu shot each year.

For more information on the flu, contact the Vermont Department of Health at 802-863-7240.

Thank you,

Alicia Goodkind, MSN, RN

Did you know that all FMS students are able to check out 2 extra books from the school library during breaks? Make a plan with your students to continue all the amazing reading over the winter break.

Here are some things to consider as you plan:

-When and where might you work in in reading during your winter break schedule/plans?

-Is there perhaps a time and place that is different from their regular routine that makes reading extra appealing?

-If you have the luxury of lazier mornings for a couple days, reading in bed might be a fun way to start the day.

- Read together! Reading with your children provides a great opportunity to set up a regular, shared event where you can look forward to spending time together.

Happy Reading from the FMS Library Team!

Amanda Biggs & Tiffany Gershon

Please be sure your student comes to school prepared for the weather in the colder months. Students have morning recess at arrival time, as well as recess during the day. P.E. classes often go outside as well.

Students should bring:

hats, waterproof gloves, warm jackets, snow pants and boots.

If students do not bring snow gear for recess, they will need to stay on the blacktop. While we have a few items on hand for emergencies, we cannot provide snow gear for numerous children each day.

Please label all of your student's belongings. We have a large collection of lost and found items. We will donate accumulated lost and found items before the winter break in December. Please encourage your student to look in the lost and found for any missing belongings!

Check out Mrs. Ferris's General Music Blog for photos and updates!

Now that winter weather is here, we wanted to reach out and remind our families of resources the Town of Essex and State of Vermont have to help during challenging times.

Please click here for information on food assistance, fuel assistance, housing supports, and statewide resources.

EWSD School Calendar

December 22, 2022: Schoolwide Spirit Day - Comfy Cozy Day

Wear your coziest clothing to school!

December 23, 2022 - January 2, 2023: Early Winter Break, No School for Students

January 16, 2023: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School for Students

Here are some of the ways you can stay in touch!

Email: sjablonski@ewsd.org
Website www.ewsd.org/fms
Location: 33 Founders Road, Essex Junction, VT, USA
Phone: 802-879-6326
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Founders-Memorial-School-1509308329359547
Twitter: @srjablonski