May 6, 2020

UPCOMING & ONGOING

• Special Presentation with Meteorologist Scott Whittier @ 10:00 Thursday, May 7th, for all Swift 5/6 and any interested 7/8 graders

• VT Food Bank  & National Guard distribute MREs @ Allen Brook on Friday, May 8th- Details in School Bell

• Independent Projects starting next week- Students will be asked to develop and present an argument related to the Global Goal.  They will share their final presentation in an online Open House this June.

• In science, Swifties are posting presentations about natural disasters and weather phenomena on Flipgrid.  We'll be sharing a link to these soon.

• In social studies, Swifties are practicing how to develop, support, and organize argument writing based on current events and issues.

• Greensheets have been replaced with an email home in the event that your child has overdue work.  With that said, if you have questions or concerns about your child's remote schooling experience, please reach out to us.

• The overall structure of our schedule remains the same as previous weeks with the recent addition of live World Language meetings for 5th graders on Fridays @ 8:55.  Be sure to bemark the live version of our schedule as we will always update it with any small changes like this.

SWIFTIES @ HOME

Henry B is helping build planters for his deck.  Allison created an intricate Rube Goldberg machine in her basement.  Keep sharing these fantastic images from home!

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT

Is your child having any issues with their Chromebook?  The incredible CVSD IT department is here to help you.  They ask that you fill out a HelpDesk repair request at https://ithelpdesk.cvsdvt.org.    Complete the form with your own contact information to speed up the request.

Since March 18 they have processed over 450 helpdesk tickets along with email requests and phone calls.  They can trouble-shoot with you online or by phone or arrange to swap out devices if needed.  The turnaround time- from when the ticket is submitted until the problem is resolved is almost always less than 24 hours (dependent on when they hear back after our initial contact for the ticket), most commonly less than 12 hours and often the same day within just a few hours.  They disinfect and repair all devices, getting them ready to go back out.

SWIFT PARENT MEETING

We had a great showing at our Parent Meeting on April 16th. It was a fabulous chance to connect, share ideas, and ask questions. Our agenda included our:

• Mission
• Curriculum
• Remote Learning Schedule
• Sustainability/Independent Projects
• Technology
• Communications / Remote Site
• PLPs

Click here to view a recording of the meeting or here to review the slideshow.

GUIDANCE

A nice resource shared by our guidance department...

IMAGES FROM HOME

Prompt: We’re spending our time in a limited amount of space as we follow Governor Scott’s order to “Stay Safe, Stay Home.”   Embed your own photo here, one that helps describe your smaller world right now.  It could be an old photo or a new photo, a person, an object, a place, or a drawing if you prefer.

Zoe 

Emmett

Philip

REPRESENTING THE BIG IDEA

We were wrapping up our social justice literature group just as school went remote in March.  Students worked to identify the "big idea" in their books, ideas that extended beyond any one book or story.  The following examples show how some used word art to create a visual representation of the "big ideas" from Trevor Noah's autobiography, Born a Crime. 

Charlie

Henry

Matthew

Nate C

SCIENCE PROJECTS

The Rock Cycle~ Kaylee B

LIBRARY RESOURCES

Dorothy Alling Youth Librarian, Jess George, reads selections from this year's DCF List:

• The Best At It
• The Dark Lord Clementine
• We're Not From Here

The DCF List compiles the best of this year's middle school books, as recommended by Vermont librarians and educators.  Find introductions to all of this year's recommendations at Dorothy's List PlayList.

Remember, we also have new access to online library loans through our school email accounts through Sora.  See an overview here.

OPPORTUNITIES

UVM Extension Opportunities~ Virtual Enrichment Learning Opportunities,  Each Weekday @ 3 pm
Click here for details and registration

• Mondays – Distance Learning Socials~ Each week a different topic in science, healthy living, and civic engagement will be introduced alongside fun take home challenges. We will meet back up on Thursdays at 3PM to share out our findings. Stay tuned as we post more topics. Open to all youth ages 8+. 

• Tuesdays – QuaranTeen Time~ Each week a different topic of interest to teens will be presented - it's a great way to learn something new and connect with other teens! Stay tuned as we post more topics. Open to all youth in grades 7-12.

• Wednesdays – QuaranTeen Virtual Science Cafe ~ Each week a different topic of interest to teens will be presented - it's a great way to learn something new and connect with other teens! Stay tuned as we post more topics. Open to all youth in grades 7-12.

• Thursdays – Distance Learning Socials Follow-Up

• Fridays - Cloverbud Connects Challenges are issued each Friday and are geared toward youth in grades K-2.