Message From the Principal
Conference time is always an exciting part of the school year. This week we paused to reflect upon the progress that students are making. I had the opportunity to attend a conference with almost every homeroom teacher. A huge thank you goes out to the families who graciously allowed me to join their conferences. Attending conferences allowed me to see first hand the amount of time and energy that goes into preparing for conferences. It also allowed me to witness the high level of engagement from families. MCS is lucky to have a strong partnership between teachers, families, and students.
On the note of working together, we are conducting a school climate survey. Please take a few minutes to open up this School Climate Survey and give your feedback. We will be surveying students and staff as well. I will share the results in a future issue of Cross Words.
Enjoy the weekend,
Shawn
Important Dates
- December 4 - Budget Presentation at Norwich School Board Meeting, 6:00pm
- December 17 - Holiday Concert 6:30pm, Grades 4-6
- December 18 - Holiday Concert 5:00pm, Grades K-3
- December 21 - January 5 - School Vacation
School News and Information
6th Grade Survey for Holiday Concert
Dear Parents of 6th Graders,
Please speak with your child about whether they would prefer to sing, dance, or act for a special performance at the Holiday Concert. Then, please complete this two-question survey. Please enter your responses as soon as possible!
https://forms.gle/ziqYRTJuWBrcYvEx8
Travis Ramsey and the 6th Grade Team
What We Can to Take Care of our Planet
We’ve started a project that every student and staff member can participate in all year. And so can you! Let’s all think about, and add to what we do to take care of the Earth and combat climate change.
There are three categories we’re focusing on: 1. Students: what I and/or my family does 2. What I as a staff member do 3. What the school as a whole does. These are recorded and placed on the rays of the sun on a bulletin board by the library. At each Thursday Rep, a statement from each category is read. The expectation from this project is to get ideas from each other, to encourage us to think harder about what we can do and to get inspired to do all we can to help our planet.
The winter, holiday-giving MCS Online Spirit Wear Store is now open! This store features our largest collection ever of clothing and accessories for everyone from newborns to great-grands. You'll find many new items, new colorways, and new options. In addition to shirts, bottoms, and sweats there's outerwear, stadium blankets, stadium seats, towels, aprons, tote bags, and much much more. Don't miss the brand new expanded collection for babies and toddlers. Place your order today, and pick it up at MCS December 17th. The deadline to order is Monday, December 2nd, but why wait to check off those boxes on your holiday gift list? Purchases support the PTO Grant Program. Visit the store at https://marioncross.itemorder.
Marion Cross School - Student Supports
As our Mission states we hope to; “Empower all students to realize their intellectual, physical, emotional, creative, and social potential. Sometimes a student may need some additional support. The system of formal support is articulated below.
Educational Support Team (EST) - Teachers in each grade meet weekly with the school nurse, school counselor, coordinator of student services, and principal to discuss student concerns. During the EST process, a statement is created to specifically describe what should be worked on. The EST team then discusses strategies for interventions and what metrics would be used to assess progress. An EST is flexible and be implemented for several weeks or several months. Parents are able to attend their child’s EST meeting. If you think your child may benefit from this type of support, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.
Section 504 (504) - Section 504 is a Federal civil rights law which protects the rights of individuals with disabilities by ensuring a level of access to educational services (including both academic and extracurricular activities) that is equal to the level of access provided to non-disabled students. Students who qualify for 504s typically receive accommodations to help them with their disability. The 504 process starts with a referral from a child’s parent or teacher. Next, an eligibility meeting occurs in which the physical or mental impairment and how it limits a major life activity is discussed. Finally, a 504 plan with accommodations is created as a team. These plans are reviewed annually. If you have questions about section 504, please contact the school’s 504 coordinator, Greg Bagnato gregbagnato@marioncross.org.
Individual Education Plan (IEP) - Federal education law requires that students that are adversely affected by their education disability will be given the opportunity to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) developed by the IEP team (parents, general education and special education teachers, and school administration. The guidelines and qualifications for this level of support are clearly outlined by the State of Vermont Agency of Education. The process is similar to a 504, but eligibility requirements are significantly different. If you have questions about Individual Education Plans, please contact the school principal, Shawn Gonyaw shawngonyaw@marioncross.org. Mr. Gonyaw, can put you in touch with the correct special education case manager.
Les Magazines en français
While attending the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association annual conference, I stopped by the table of Bayard publishers. They are the suppliers of the magazines that we have available for students to read during our independent reading time. Catherine Lamy, the NE representative, gave me catalogues with all of the offerings. If your child is interested in subscribing to a French magazine, please email me and I’ll be happy to give them a catalogue to bring home!
Madame Litten
Are you interested in starting up a MCS Parent Support Group? There has been some interest in creating a group for MCS parents to discuss issues pertaining to raising elementary age students. If interested, please email katiecormier@marioncross.org
Substitutes Needed: Do you have an interest in spending time at our school? Would you like to spend quality time in MCS classrooms? We are in need of substitute teachers. To be a substitute you need to apply via School Spring. Please see the SAU website for more information.
