The Wise Owl

April 10, 2017

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

Happy Spring Everyone!
(We're finally going to feel it this week!)

Some news and information that will be helpful to know as spring and warmer weather make a welcome return!

SOME IMPORTANT DATES FOR APRIL and MAY:

April 12: UES Parents Group Meeting (see below), 6:00-7:00
April 13: All School Assembly, 8:30 (Meet our new "Wise Owl" Mascot!)
April 17-21: April Vacation -- NO SCHOOL
April 28: UES Lip Synch Battle! 6:00
May 3: "Animals" 2nd Grade Performance, 6:00
May 10: "Vermont Variety Show" 4th Grade Performance, 6:00
May 17: Kinder Art Show Celebration, 6:00
May 25: "Wing It!" 1st Grade Performance, 6:00
May 29: Memorial Day -- NO SCHOOL

UNION PLAYGROUND PROJECT UPDATE For those who haven't heard, the project is still on track!  The UPP committee has been meeting regularly all year, and we still hope to break ground with Phase I of the project this summer.  Unfortunately, there have been a number of roadblocks concerning the condition of the site that have slowed the process, and our plan is to meet with the School Board in early May to update them on what we're facing.  As anyone who has spent any time on our playground can attest, our beautiful school is saddled with a very challenging site!

In the meantime, the committee's plan is to draft an update to share with the community as soon as possible.  In fact, I will be addressing the Union Parents Group on Wednesday, April 12, and I would love to have as many of you there as possible to hear what's going on and ask questions.  SE Group, the design firm that is working on the project, shared some design and budget updates with the UPP Committee last Thursday, and I will share them with you all when we gather this Wednesday.  I hope to see you there, and please stop by or reach out if you have any questions before then.

The UPP Committee meeting with SE Group representatives last week

UES PARENTS GROUP MEETING Yes, the next Parents Group meeting is Wednesday evening from 6 to 7. Here is the busy agenda:

Please join us Wednesday, April 12 from 6:00-7:00 in the Union Elementary School cafeteria for the next Parent's Group meeting. You are invited!  Have the kids?  As usual bring the kids --  Kristina Kane (art teacher extraordinaire) will be doing something fun with them!

On the agenda:

Chris Hennessey, Principal, UPP playground update.

Interim playgroup cleanup project (Jay Ericson)

Election of Officers

Reschedule May meeting

Jody will be presenting the Financial Report
And review of expenditures

Other business

New topics for future meetings

Hope to see you there!

BINGO! Once again, Bingo Night was the place to be in Montpelier on a busy Friday night! A packed house filled the gym for a spirited few hours of Bingo fun, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and fabulous prizes! Congratulations to UES moms Emma Bay-Hansen, Karen Supan, Abbie Lever and other Parents Group members for running a spectacularly tight show and raising over $1300 for Union Elementary in one fun, snowy night! Here are a few action shots courtesy of Emma...

Fresh haircuts and snappy bowties (courtesy of MJ)

Excitement builds as everyone waits for their last number!

A full house!!

MATH FAIR WINNERS! Mrs. Blodgett's 2nd graders won 1st Place at last month's Vermont State Math Fair! Wow! From Mrs. Blodgett: "We read the book If You Hopped Like a Frog by David Schwartz. This book showed us some of the amazing abilities and features of certain animals. The author helped us think about what OUR bodies could do if we had the same amazing abilities as these animals. We used measurement, addition, multiplication, and division to figure out how far we could hop if we were frogs, how wide we’d be able to open our mouths if we were diamondback rattlesnakes, how long our necks would be if we were cranes, and how far we would be able to leap if we were fleas. The class created self-portraits depicting how far they could open their mouths if they were diamondback rattlesnakes. This unit was a great way to integrate math, science, literature, and art!"

Proud 1st Place finishers Nora and Indy

UES KINDNESS CHALLENGE! UES has been having so much fun this early spring participating in a "Kindness Challenge"! Children who are being kind to each other have been randomly selected to win some really fun prizes, to include having lunch with Mr. Hennessey, enjoying mango in the Mango Room with MJ, getting a tour of the ever-fascinating UES basement with Mr. Keller, and other great experiences! This month's winners: Micah Jacobson, Rowan Goldblatt, Mike Vitt, Cherylanne Magiera, Indy Roberts, Parker Schlegel, Allegra Muller, Maya Shea, and Mason Harvie. We have all really enjoyed this challenge! Here are some pictures to check out...

Yep, eating mango with MJ in the Mango Room!

Whoa!  A tour of the basement with Mr. Keller!

Some of the other winners...

HENNESSEY'S HOOTS! A Hennessey Hoot to...

* ... UES Custodians Todd Keller and Chris Luce for being Tooth Fairy Heroes (yes, there is such a thing)! From Instructional Assistant Melissa Mueller: "After Todd and Chris took apart all 3 drains in the cafeteria to locate a lost tooth of a first grader, Todd presented the student with a big picture of a tooth to give to the tooth fairy explaining that the tooth was lost in the drain.  This was so kind!!!!!!" 

The Tooth Fairy Hero at work!

* ... UES Instructional Assistant Laura Delcore for taking one of my favorite pictures in the nearly four years I've been your principal! A perfect one to end this Kindness themed Wise Owl -- check out these 1st Grade boys..