EMS Newsletter

Hello EMS Families and Community!

The staff and I are extremely excited to welcome you to the Student-Led Conferences this week where students will demonstrate their learning and give you a glimpse into their lives at school. It made me think about how much I’ve been anticipating my own children’s conferences. My kids started in the Kindergarten and PreK at CP Smith School this Fall and, for the first time, I don’t actually know much about what they do all day or about what their lives at school really look like.

I thought I would use this newsletter to show you a day at EMS. What does it look and feel like in our school? At the top of this entry are several photo collages that were taken on Friday, November 17th. All the students pictured consented to having their photos featured in the newsletter.

Friday morning, Art Teacher Judy Klima led a field trip for her 7th/8th grade class down the block to the Fletcher Free Library to meet a Graphic Novelist presenting their new book. Many of the students returned with the text, integrating their learning from the field trip and Art class into their Language Arts classes where they are currently studying narrative writing. Ryder is pictured with a copy of the book!

I walked down the hall and poked my head into Mr. Buckley’s 6th grade class. Here I found Kaygan presenting on his “House of Fashion” project. He is collecting clothing donations from different community sources and making them available to students and their families. This is a model example of the kind of multidisciplinary, community-based, project-based learning that myself and the rest of our Instructional Leadership Team at EMS are looking to promote. Amazing work!

Next I got an alert on my phone that the Nia/Journey Team’s “Podcasts and Potluck” event was starting downstairs in the school library. I hustled down there in time to see tons of you pouring in the front door. This is what I love about Burlington, and about how our placement downtown supports our role as a community school. I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since this event. Hats off to Katie Wyndorf, Laura Botte, all the 6th graders who so bravely and vulnerably shared their podcasts about their “memorable objects”, and to all the community members who came to share in the stories and food: two things that bring communities of humans together across all time and distance.

After the bustle of the morning, the afternoon passed quickly! Evolution and Infinity students walked to the Flynn Theater to see the world-famous NDLOVU Youth Choir from South Africa. The students I talked to about the performance spoke effusively, but with an almost quiet awe, like they knew they had just witnessed something incredibly special.

I will admit that I was curious to see how the school would feel in the last hours before vacation with the excitement of the Dance coming up, and with the disruption from earlier in the week still casting its shadow. And there were one or two small student conflicts, as there might be on any other day. But what I found as I walked the school was:

Mr. Richard’s Language Arts class working diligently. When I walked in to take this photo, Mr. Richards had actually stepped into the hall for a moment to attend to something, and his class, knowing the expectations, the routines, having built a strong and effective classroom culture, continued to perform at a high level with independence. This is what we are teaching our kids!

I found Noah in Mr. Monahan’s class absolutely crushing his IXL Math work while some of his classmates finished up a test. I found students reading together in the library with our AMAZING librarian Jordan Funke (“JFunke” to the students). And joy. I found lots and lots of joy.

The final image I will share with you for this photo journal of a day at EMS is a closeup of Hello Kitty Flavored Water that a student found at the Asian Market along with a package of Strawberry Oreos (not pictured). This trip was part of another community-based learning project studying the way different cultures intersect in our city. The student holding it is one who does not always love every minute of every single one of their classes. But there was such a spark here, such vitality and love of learning (and Hello Kitty) that I walked away at the end of this long week almost skipping.

This is EMS. This is our school. This is the diverse, exceptional, sometimes messy, innovative, getting there, performing, struggling, growing into ourselves, work-in-progress that is our school and our school community. Thank you so much for being a part of it.

• John

Hi EMS Families,

The Student Support Team is beginning to collect donations for families needing support over the winter break. Donations are based on support received by the EMS Community and are not guaranteed. However, we will try our best to fill all needs.

To receive support over the December break, please complete this form by December 16th.

To give support over the December break, please complete this form by December 11th. Click here to view frequently asked questions from donors.

Please contact Taylor Ostapczuk at tostapcz@bsdvt.org or call her at (802) 864-8486 ext. 41012 with any questions.

Thank you so much. We are so appreciative of our Edmunds community.

The Student Support Team

Journey and Nia Storytellers showcased their first audio story at our Podcast and Potluck event. In their Humanities class, the scholars explored elements of narrative writing, practiced audio podcasting skills using WeVideo, and shared about a meaningful object in their life. It was such a joy to hear these stories, witness the practice of bringing a writing piece to the publishing stage, and of course to share a meal together. Great work, Journey and Nia scholars, and big thanks to all that came out to celebrate their work!

EMS art students attended a Cartoon Workshop thanks to our friends at the Fletcher Free Library. On Friday morning, both period 1 and 2 classes headed over to the FFL for a fabulous hands-on workshop with author and cartoonist, Marek Bennett.

Cooler weather is hat wearing season, which is also the prime season for Head Lice. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics 6-12 million children will get head lice this year. According to BSD policy, which can be found on page 19 of the school calendar “Parents/guardians should check their young children's head once a week and especially before returning to school after vacations.” BSD follows the guidelines of the Vt Dept. of Health and the CDC. Children are not excluded from school for having head lice, but parents are expected to do their best to treat, if their child is found to have lice. For more info refer to:https://identify.us.com or

https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/childrens-health/best-ways-to-treat-head-lice-a1695480068/

Please contact the school nurse if you need any help or have any questions!