IAA Newsletter

Communication between schools and families has become more important than ever as we respect COVID guidelines. The IAA Newsletter will be sent out the first week of each month. It’s purpose is to update families on what is happening at the IAA.

Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) has moved us from Step II to Step III on Sept. 26th with regards to our COVID-19 safety protocols. With this announcement, our district will transition our K-2 students to four-days per week in-person learning beginning on Monday, Oct. 19th, and our 3-5 students on Monday, Oct. 26th. Wednesdays will continue to be remote learning days for all students at this time. The 100% remote learning option will remain available for those families who enrolled at the start of the school year.

As a part of the ongoing effort to communicate what Arts Integration looks like at the IAA, this newsletter will feature the various components of Arts Integration and ways in which it manifests at our school. This issue kicks off the series by unpacking our definition of Arts Integration. Follow us on Instagram @iaavt.

Also, our classroom teachers will seek to keep families engaged and communicate what is happening with student learning through classroom newsletters that will be shared with families of that particular grade level every 1-2 weeks.

Town Meetings have a new format this year. IAA students and staff will view the Town Meeting each week in their classrooms. Additionally, Town Meetings will be posted each Thursday afternoon on the Burlington School District Youtube channel as a part of the IAA Playlist. Posting the video on the BSD Channel provides families and remote students an opportunity to connect with the IAA from the comfort of home. Town Meetings will feature old favorites such as the IAA Players, Writer’s Read, Student of the Week, Magic Mailbox, ROAR-related content, class presentations, videos, and eventually we hope to incorporate artist performances.

At the IAA, we have adopted the Kennedy Center’s definition of Arts integration. Arts Integration is “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject and meets evolving objectives in both."

Arts Integration co-teaching blocks will also look a little different this year. Unified arts teachers are on a two-week rotation and remain with the same three classes every day before switching to the next three. Each grade level has identified an essential question or idea to investigate all year through different art forms and subject areas. This new format will allow for our arts integration co-teaching to continue this year in the safest way possible.

• 1st: How do things change over time?

• 2nd: How do things move?

• 3rd: What are the pieces that create the whole?

• 4th: Perspectives

• 5th: Tell me your story.

This project is designed to address the question, How can we come together and uplift our community using art as we isolate and distance ourselves? More than ever, learning will be happening in every corner of every house and building throughout the city. We aim to bring learning and art out into the open, making it interactive, more accessible, and for all to enjoy. Using street art and cartooning as inspiration, students will reflect on how artists respond to their environments (physical and temporal) and highlight meaningful places and things about the community in which they live and go to school.

This year’s whole school residency integrates art, drama, SEL, and writing. It uses storytelling, identity, and character development as students create their own character or creature to cartoon. These characters will be displayed outside throughout the ONE neighborhood. The art will vary by grade level-- some painting on wood panels, posters, clay slabs, sculpture garden. Storywalks, scavenger hunts, and Creature Maps will be made to support community engagement and participation. It is extremely ambitious and layered, but it is one learning experience that feels fun and safe this year! This project was inspired by a Michael Badger monster, a local woodworker.

We are looking for wood scraps to support this project, wood scraps that are no smaller than 5in x5in and are between 1/8in- 3/4in thick. If you have any that you are able to donate, please contact Emily Titterton at etittert@bsdvt.org.

ONE-Sings for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade and our STEP class is back! The first session began in mid-September and will run through November (with a short intermission in October). Mr. Brian Perkins is leading students in 15 minute ‘quick sings’ outdoors on both A and B days. The students are singing, moving their bodies, practicing numeracy, literacy, and learning about the history behind songs in the process.

Hello! My name is Betsy Knox. I am the new Instructional Coach, shared with the Sustainability Academy. My position provides support, guidance, and feedback to teachers regarding curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices in the areas of literacy and mathematics. The goal of this work is to improve outcomes for all students, in each class. Prior to arriving at IAA, I was a building principal at Monkton Central School, in Addison County, for six years. Returning to a role of curriculum coordination and support has been wonderful and the staff and students at the IAA have been warm and welcoming.

Join instructor Rose Bedard for a socially distanced Halloween themed dance class for all ages! On 10/16 at 4pm we invite families to join us to learn the popular Thriller dance in Roosevelt Park. Costumes optional but encouraged! Class is pay-what-you-can, suggested $10. Pre-registration required – register at flynnvt.org.

It has been a wonderful new beginning as we work together to create a safe and brave space where we can learn through drama. We begin each class with our ritual of the Actor’s Toolbox. In your Actor’s Toolbox you will find your body, voice, imagination, concentration, and cooperation. Ask your child to show you how we show that we will agree to bring all 5 tools to class as well as having a calm body, balanced emotions, and focused mind. We have been engaging in some old favorite games like Night at the Museum with a twist to keep our physical distance. This can be played at home. Ask your child to teach you:) I look forward to a fun filled Fall as we bring stories to life and engage with our world through drama.

I couldn’t be any happier to be teaching art this year at IAA! It’s been an inspiring and engaging first few weeks getting to know all the students. Both students and teachers have been flexible, enthusiastic and super helpful about Art class happening in their classrooms. Self portraits, collages, colorful line work and monsters are some of the projects that have gotten the creative ball rolling. I look forward to introducing students to many different kinds of media as well as artists from around the world and in their own backyard.

The weather has been kind and we have been able to enjoy music classes outdoors, under the tent on our playground and at Roosevelt Park. Outdoors allows us to sing, so we have been taking advantage of that! We are also moving to music and practicing keeping a steady beat in many different ways. It’s been a good start to the school year.

Mr Myregaard

Email: bmyregaa@bsdvt.org Website: www.iaamusic.weebly.com Twitter: @IAAMusicVT

Instagram: @iaamusicvt

We are off to a whirlwind start this year! So far I have been in every classroom once and seen every student again. We are now in our 2 week Unified Arts rotations, so that means that it will be a lot longer until I see students in classrooms. When I go into classrooms, I will be bringing a mobile book cart filled with books to let them book shop in person. When students don’t see me, I will still make sure that students always have books. I have enabled 4th and 5th graders to login, using their Google Login, into our Library Catalog so they can place books on hold. I am ordering canvas tote bags from New Duds to help deliver books to classrooms and will use these to drop off books to students' classrooms when I’m not teaching in them. I will work with the 3rd graders on logging in and placing books on hold when I’m in their classrooms on my UA rotation. For K-2, I will be working on creating a paper-based book check out sheet to help them choose books.

If you happen to have books still at your home from the spring, please send them back with your child. If you or your student has any questions, please email me: jpeake@bsdvt.org

It has been a great start to the school year. We have been very fortunate that the weather has allowed us to be outside every day for P.E. So far, we have taken the time to go over P.E. expectations and explore our new spaces on the soccer field at IAA and at Roosevelt Park. If you know your child has P.E., please send them to school with warm clothes because we are going to be outside as much as we can. Keep thinking, warm weather and sunny days, so we can continue to enjoy this wonderful Fall weather.

It’s been a great start to the school year and I’ve enjoyed seeing the students, especially after being apart for so long! Students have been doing a great job with hand washing and adjusting to the new routine. We must stay vigilant with our handwashing and infection prevention measures as winter approaches. Please remember to fill out the screening questionnaire for your student(s) every morning before school. I want to thank parents for being understanding and flexible with the new protocols around illness. I know it can be very frustrating. If you have any questions regarding the health screening or illness protocols, please feel free to reach out to me, 865-4172 or awasko@bsdvt.org. Please also review the BSD Reopening Guidance.