Important Dates
Monday, January 17 - Holiday, School Closed
Friday, January 28 - Teacher In-Service, No School
February 14 - 21 - Winter Recess
Message from the Principal
I hope that all of you are looking forward to the three day weekend and will take some time to reflect upon Martin Luther King Jr. day on Monday. There are so many fantastic children's books written about his life and accomplishments; many of which I am certain you can find at the Norwich Public Library.
In Covid news, many of you have received letters from me about positive cases in our school. This week we had a number of students test positive. The guidance from the State of Vermont changed in a couple of ways.
1. When a student tests positive, we no longer conduct contract tracing. Instead, all students in that classroom are considered close contacts.
2. Families in a classroom with a positive case receive a notice from the school. This information has been adjusted to now notify the classroom and grade level of the date of exposure.
3. If your child is fully vaccinated, the letter is merely a notice. Fully vaccinated children with no symptoms can come to school as normal, no testing or quarantine necessary.
4. If your child is NOT fully vaccinated, then either a 5 day quarantine or daily testing for 5 days using the rapid antigen tests is required. If using the rapid antigen test, children can come to school each day as long as they have symptom free and negative results.
In other Covid news, many of you reached out earlier in the week about your discouragement with surveillance testing ending in Vermont schools. One of the many things that I love about MCS families is your willingness to problem solve and help situations. Many of you wrote to Secretary French at the Agency of Education, as well as to the Governor, your state representatives, and anyone else with influence in making the decision to stop testing. Because of your efforts, combined with the efforts of other parents and educators across the state, the guidance changed to allow schools to continue with surveillance testing if they wish. MCS will continue with weekly testing as long as it is made available to us.
On a different note, a huge shoutout to Emma Cottage who has been organizing parent and/or community volunteers to cover recess duties for staff. MCS staff greatly appreciate that people are willing to take time out of their busy schedules to spend time with children at recess. It gives staff a well-deserved break in their day. Just one more thing to appreciate about the Norwich community!
Thank you,
Shawn
Message from Student Services
Happy Friday!....What an interesting week. Covid is doing its level best to consume my mind, but I am countering by trying to focus on supporting staff and students by providing and emphasizing routines and structure.
During our staff meeting this past week, we were able to look at the data that Shawn shared in Cross Words last Friday. The teachers and educational assistants looked at student data and started to make plans. It is important to keep everything in perspective and I feel privileged to work with all the Marion Cross School Staff.
If you or your child is having a difficult time. Please reach out to Katie Cormier, school counselor or myself. We are here to help or just listen.
Two Important Reminders:
1. On February 2, 7:30-8:30pm, Lynn Lyons will present to parents and caregivers of young children (ages 0-8) on the topic of When Worry Shows Up: How Parents and Caregivers Can Help Children during Uncertain Times. Questions for Lynn may be submitted through the registration form and there will also be time for questions at the end of her presentation. This presentation will be recorded and shared to registrants and on the Project LAUNCH social media afterwards.
a. Please visit the February 2nd registration link with more information.
2. Also, please remind those adults with younger children that applications for our MCS Public Preschool school year are still open and will remain open until January 31st 2022. We are encouraging everyone who might be interested to apply.
● In order to apply, you will need to fill out the 5-minute application on the SAU enrollment website (click Marion Cross school and the preK tab). If you need help applying or if you would like a hard copy of the form sent to you, please contact Greg Bagnato, Coordinator of Student Services at gregbagnato@hanovernorwichschools.org if you have any questions.
I hope you are able to have a refreshing and relaxing long weekend.
Stay Safe,
Greg
School News and Information
PAL( Peer Adventure Learning) and PE - On the move to physical and social success!!!
This week was all about fair vs. equal. Fair is getting what everyone needs. Students created habitats for their stuffies and then traded off as a way to show what’s equal isn’t always what’s fair. We read the book: “That’s Not Fair” by Courtney Butorac as an example of how when things are fair, everyone gets what they need.
Volunteer News - If you've had your background check approved (you will have received an email), there are 2 volunteer opportunities available.
Wilderness Wednesdays - We would love you to join the Kindergarteners during their Wilderness Wednesdays. We are looking for 1 volunteer on Wednesdays from 10:00am to 12:30pm. You can sign-up for 1 day, or several - please enter your name on this sheet, so that Kindergarten knows who is coming.
Recess Support - In addition to the request for Wilderness Wednesday's we'd love to give the staff a break from recess duty, so they can attend to emails, admin etc... Please take a look at the MCS Recess - Duty Schedule 2021/22 If you have time to cover a recess, please reach out to the relevant teacher and let them know if you can help.
Volunteer Sign Up - SAU 70 requires that ALL volunteers in the district complete the Volunteer Application Form. This link will direct you to the form, and details the Volunteer Background Check Process. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Thank you for supporting our school
Please let me know if you have any questions
Emma Cottage
SAU 70 Volunteer Coordinator
The SAU 70 district needs substitutes - We would love to have you help us occasionally in the school. If you are interested in being a substitute teacher, you can apply for the role on the SAU 70 Job Listings.
PTO News
Children's Skating Event Monday January 17th. Please join Norwich Recreation, the Marion Cross PTO and Hanover High School's Youth in Action for a skating event!
Helmets and face masks are required for everyone at this event, bring your skates from home or Dan and Whits is a great place to borrow some. The rink is closed to the public from the hours of 8:30am-1:00pm in order to ensure the safety of all participants. Registration is required.
