- CURRENT POST
This was our first full week of school and it allowed me to spend time in classrooms with students and teachers. One piece of the principal position that I enjoy is giving feedback about excellent teaching. This week allowed me to begin to recognize the talent that this staff possesses. There were a few highlights that stood out that are worthy of mention. First, many classrooms use questioning techniques to engage students in discussions. I saw this questioning liven up many lessons and bring about deeper thinking. Experiential learning opportunities are present in many classrooms. I watched a fifth grade science class where students were learning about convection, conduction, and radiation as means of transferring energy. This was done through small group labs and again sparked vibrant discussions. Again, in sixth grade social studies I watched an amazing lesson where students pondered artifacts, both from the past and potential future, to learn about civilizations. There were just a few of lessons that I visited that made me feel that MCS students are lucky to learn from each other and a talented staff.
Who is Mr. Bagnato?
Last year a new administrative position was created called the Coordinator of Student Support Services. In May, Greg Bagnato was hired to fill this role. While folks seem excited about Greg’s addition, a common question from parents has been who is he and what exactly does the Coordinator of Student Support Services do?
Greg moved to Norwich when he was 13 years old. He attended Hanover High School and went to college in New York. After teaching at various outdoor education facilities around the country, he finally settled in Minnesota, met his partner Ellen, and started teaching middle school science. Ellen and Greg spent eight years teaching in overseas schools and moved back to the Upper Valley in 2013. For the past six years, Greg has been principal at the Newton School in Strafford, VT. Greg has a tenth grader attending HHS and an 8th grader who is in her last year at the Newton School.
Greg is really excited to be in this newly created position. Greg’s main job responsibilities will be to work with Mr. Gonyaw to continue to implement the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. This initiative will help our school community work together to ensure that all of our students have access to the amazing education at Marion Cross. He will also work with the SAU to coordinate the process and the student plans for 504s. There is a discussion being organized for parents about supports such as IEPs 504s and ESTs. The date and time of this event will be announced soon. Finally, Greg will be working with students who need support to meet MCS behavior expectations, organizing school data to inform decision making, and helping to implement the free and reduced program.
Dogs on the Playground
The phrase, dogs are mans best friend, is true unless you have a fear of dogs! There has been a rise in the population of dogs that are present on school grounds, especially during dismissal. Even though some children enjoy the dogs, there are others for whom this is a fear. If you have a dog please plan to meet your child by the gazebo or at the church. This will allow the playground area, where there is a lot of activity and many children, to be designated as a dog free zone. There are exceptions, which would be therapy dogs or service dogs. I know that this is a change in what has occurred in the past. However, children are the number 1 priority for our school and there are some who are uncomfortable with the number of dogs on our playground. This also allows us to keep everyone safe. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Guidelines of when to keep your child home for illness or health related issues:
If your child has a fever taken with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you are not able to measure a temperature, the sick person might have a fever if he or she feels warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering. Your child must be fever-free for at least 24 hours. The fever should be gone without the use of fever- reducing medicine, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin (Advil).
If your child has redness and discharge from one or both of their eyes, their healthcare provider should be contacted for possible evaluation and treatment. If they are prescribed an antibiotic ointment for their eyes, they should remain at home for 24 hours after the treatment has begun.
If your child has symptoms such as a severe, persistent sore throat or cough or difficulty breathing, their health care provider should be contacted. If your child has been tested for strep throat, please keep your child home until the test results are known. If they are positive, your child will need to have 24 hours of treatment before they return to school.
Keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after they have had diarrhea or vomiting.
If your child has draining or infected wound, please contact your child’s healthcare provider. If your child is started on antibiotics, they will not be able to return for 24 after the start of treatment.
If your child has been sick during the night, please do not send your child to school the next morning.
If your child has excessive sneezing and coughing and is uncomfortable, please keep your child at home to rest, so they may return once they are feeling better.
When calling the office with your child's absence:
Please report the following:
• If your child has a fever.
• What are your child's symptoms
• If they have diagnosed strep throat, pneumonia, flu, meningitis, and other diagnosed communicable diseases.
This information helps to keep all students healthy, especially students who have concerns with fighting infections. Thanks for help with this. Please do not hesitate to contact Nurse Pam with any questions or concerns.
Info Snap
If you have not already done so, please complete the Info-Snap student information online. You should have received information on how to access this portal. If you have not received this information then please let Joy in the office know. We have 199 completed Info-Snap out of 308 students. Our goal is to get 100% completion.
Info-snap is an online program that allows parents to give permission for the school nurse to administer common over-the-counter medications, such as Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Tums. The Info-Snap portal also allows for treatment at the hospital in case we are not able to reach you or your child's emergency contacts.
The information in the portal also includes:
• emergency contacts for your students
• student's physician/dentist information and last physical and dental exam and health insurance information (this information is a state requirement for all students)
Helpful Tips about Lice
Here is some information about lice and what to look for when checking your child at home.
What to look for:
Natural light is the best light to check hair. You may use a bright light if necessary and a magnifier.
You are looking for adult lice and their eggs (called nits). You’re more likely to see nits than adults because nits are firmly attached to the hair and do not move.
As you look through the hair, look closely at the hair behind the ears and around the nape of the neck. These are likely places to find lice and nits.
If the person has adult lice or nits, you will see the following:
Adult lice: These look like one or more light-brown objects that resemble sesame seeds, often moving quickly. You can find these on the scalp or the hair.
Nits (Eggs): These are yellow, brown, or tan objects that look like tiny seeds and appear to be cemented to individual hairs close to the scalp. Sometimes dandruff and hair product are mistaken for nits, nits will not brush off easily.
What if you find lice and/or nits:
Please let the school nurse know.
Do not be afraid. Lice is not an illness or infection.
There are many treatment options available: over the counter treatments, prescription treatment, and natural treatments.
You may consult your physician for help in choosing a treatment. Nurse Pam is available to help with treatment recommendations as well.
Regardless of what treatment you chose to use, combing and manual removal of live lice and nits is the most effective part of any head lice treatment regimen.
There are no over-the-counter or prescription treatments that are 100% effective against head lice and nits.
Following the treatment, your child’s hair should be checked daily for nits for at least a week after the last nit has been seen. This is a very important step because the nits are eggs that can hatch into more lice and then they lay more eggs. This can take a lot of time but it is a necessary step. If you have any questions about what the nits look like, please do not hesitate to contact the health office.
A metal fine -toothed lice comb should be used for combing. Conditioner on hair while combing helps to loosen the nits on the hair. Apply conditioner to hair and comb with lice comb section by section. It is helpful to use hair clips or pins to make sections. The first comb-through could take a couple of hours depending on how much hair your child has.
Some recommendations show that using essential oil overnight on the hair can help kill the nits. If you choose to use oil, it should be applied for 7 days after the last nit is seen.
Wash hair with essential oil shampoo every day and make sure all the overnight oil is removed.
Then rinse the hair again and dry hair so you may check for lice/nits. If you still see nits then manually remove them. Use your fingernails to grab nit and pull off hair shaft.
Clean lice comb in boiling water. Make sure all hair is removed from the comb before boiling.
• Drying bedding and pajamas on high heat for one hour everyday for at least 4 days, can help with treatment.
• If you can, throw all old brushes and combs away as well as hair ties. If that is not possible, remove all hair from the hair supplies and boil them in very hot water or wash in dishwasher. You'll need to check your child's hair daily for lice. Lice are so small they are easy to overlook. If you miss just a few tiny lice or eggs, the lice cycle will start over again. Most of the time, parents believe their child was re-infested, but in fact, all the lice/nits were never eliminated with the first attempt.
Please talk to your children about these steps to help prevent the spread of head lice.
• Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp). Lice do not jump or fly.
• Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes. Store hats and scarves in coat sleeves.
Do not share combs, brushes, or towels.
Classroom checks are discouraged by the Board of Education. They have been found not to be effective in the prevention of the spread of lice and can cause embarrassment to the child affected. Parental checks have been found to be more effective. Please check your child weekly for any signs of lice/nits. As always, please do not hesitate to contact the health office at 802-649-1703 x 206 or pamhausler@marioncross.org.
Community Interest
Norwich Historical Society Parade Float
With our theme this year celebrating the Norwich one-room schoolhouses, we are going to recreate a schoolhouse on a trailer, and we would like MCS students to be on our float! This is a wonderful connection to the Norwich history that the students are working on in class. We will have kids both on the float, and walking next to it carrying informational placards.
We do ask that students dress as closely as possible to what a student in the 1880s might wear. Pictures are attached to give you ideas. Plain white or light colored shirts, baggy pants with socks over the cuffs, leather shoes or boots, suspenders for boys, and longish dresses for girls. I've attached some pictures from early Norwich schoolhouses to inspire you.
We will meet at 9:30 to assemble kids on our float at the Norwich Historical Society. We would love to see lots of students on our float celebrating Norwich history! Questions or need more information? Contact Heidi Webster hpwebster1@gmail.com.
Montshire Museum Opportunities
Afterschool Adventures K-5
From exploring nature through hands-on experiences to diving into engineering projects. Our programs are designed to help reveal each child’s inner scientists.
https://www.montshire.org/programs/for-children-families/afterschool-programs
Young Scientists PreK-K
This weekly preschool/kindergarten program will foster your child's natural curiosity by learning through hands-on experiments and fun projects as we explore the physical and natural sciences. A different topic is presented each week.
https://www.montshire.org/programs/for-children-families/young-scientists-program
Montshire Makers Grades 6-8
After a short introduction to the project, get making! You’ll have an hour to make, tinker and create something amazing to take home. We provide tools, materials, know-how, and snacks!
https://www.montshire.org/programs/for-children-families/montshire-makers
We’re also having for FIRST LEGO league team organizers. This training is for adults who are interested in starting an FLL® team and current FLL® coaches who are interested in learning more. The training provides an overview of what it means to be a coach as well as tips and tricks from veteran coaches. In addition, event judges and coordinators will provide their insight as well in what it takes to prepare a team. No previous experience necessary!
September 6, 1pm-5pm
It’s free but we need people to register:
http://www.formstack.com/forms/mms-firstlegoleague2019
Hanover Blue Wave Tae Kwon Do
Hanover Blue Wave Tae Kwon Do now accepting students for the Fall session at the Hanover Community Center through Sept 19. Classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursdays at 5:30 for children age 7 and up. Visitors are welcome to observe anytime. Cost is $40 per month. For more information contact Hanoverbluewave@gmail.com or call 603-306-9132.www.bluewavetkd.com
Ford Sayre Ski Program
Alpine, Nordic, Recreation, and Jumping
Ford Sayre Question & Answer Session
Sunday September 15, 2019
Howe Library, Hanover, NH
2:00 - 4:00
Upcoming Events from the Norwich Public Library
It’s Fall and we’ve got so much going on. Here’s what’s happening in the next few weeks:
American Girl
The American Girl Book Club will have its first meeting for this school year on Wednesday, September 18, at 2:30. We will be learning about the historical character, Samantha. During our time together we will read and discuss the first chapter of her book and make a craft related to what we have learned. This group is intended for children in third grade and higher. RSVP Kate at kate.minshall@norwichlibrary.org or by calling the library at 649-1184
Read to Charley
Saturday, Sept 14 from 11-noon
Bone up on your reading skills by sharing a story with a certified therapy dog. To reserve a spot, send an email to beth.reynolds@norwichlibrary.org
Talk Like a Pirate Day
Thursday, September 19
We're celebrating at Norwich Public Library with a variety of after-school (3:30 - 4:30) activities. Choose your own pirate name, make a pirate hat, have your photo taken in our themed photo booth, enjoy a frozen treat, and enjoy pirate (not pirated) music and videos. All ages of children under grade 5 are welcome with parent/caregiver; kids in grade 3 & 4 are welcome unaccompanied, but should be picked up by 4:45 pm.
Call for Parade Participants to ride in our truck or march alongside on Saturday, September 21. It’s always a good time and we’d love to have you. This year’s theme is We Ae Family and we’re celebrating some fictional families, some of which you may know and love. Send an email to beth.reynolds@norwichlibrary.org for more information about times and details.
Look for information soon about Chalk It Out to celebrate Banned Books Week and our events for Rooted in Vermont week. See our website for details. https://www.norwichlibrary.org/
Stop by and see our butterfly area. We’ve got a few chrysalises waiting to hatch and it’s all very exciting!
