The last 12 months showcased a wide range of activities at all six BRSU schools: From an all new, inclusive JISP Program last winter to a month long summer federal program distributing food to all children in our community. From an all-school celebration of National Reading Month in March to Halloween celebrations and holiday festivities this fall. From winning contests in math to Girls on the Run. Check out all these stories and more below:
(Photo above: MEMS student at the T&G Board Personal Interest Project (PIP) Presentation shows her study of the benefits of therapy painting.)
EVERYONE ALL-IN FOR JISP AT THE BRSU
Imagine planning a weekly play-date for 1,001 children at multiple locations. And then doing it over and over again for seven more weeks. It’s a challenge that Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU) takes on willingly to guarantee that every student has access to the incredible opportunities made available to them in a winter activity program known locally as JISP.
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METTAWEE STUDENTS MEET WITH SCHOOL BOARD
The February meeting of the Mettawee School Board featured a new twist on the concept of public engagement: The Student Council had the floor.
“We’re constantly exploring ways to get feedback on how our school is performing,” says Mettawee School Board Chair Julie Mach. “Reaching out to parents and taxpayers always comes to mind, but at a recent meeting a new audience was identified. Why don’t we hear directly from our students?”
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BRSU GOES MAD FOR READING IN MARCH
For many people, “March Madness” means college basketball championships with visions of buzzer beating shots, final fours, and gymnasiums filled with cheering fans. It’s a national event that brings the country together.
For Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU) students, however, this March will be remembered for its month-long celebration of literacy as it honors National Reading Month. Students, staff, and families join together with activities centered around the reading of a single book: Peter Brown’s “The Wild Robot.”
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SOMETHING’S COOKING AT THE DORSET SCHOOL
On the last day of the winter trimester, a dozen student chefs relished remembering some of the favorite foods they had learned to prepare. The list included chicken, pasta, vegetables, and all types of potatoes, ranging from mashed to french fries. But one dish was held up as the apex of their cuisine.
“Our chocolate chip cookies,” said an eighth grader. “I ate a dozen!”
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MEMS MATHCOUNTS: JUST GETTING STARTED
Been there, done that, now let’s do better. On February 9th, four math wizards from Manchester Elementary Middle School (MEMS) methodically moved through the first round of Vermont’s MathCounts competition. And just like the year before, 2023, they captured first place trophy at the South West Vermont Regional Championship. But their work in 2024 is not done.
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HELP YOURSELF TO WELLNESS
The ballet instructor knew how to grab the attention of middle schoolers. “Do you know the Spiderman actor Tom Holland?” she asked. Heads nodded. “Did you know he was discovered in a ballet class?”
With that, ballet became the bomb. The 7th and 8th graders immediately formed two lines and balanced in the first position, heels touching and toes turned outward.
Ballet was just one of nine wellness stations set up at the Flood Brook School (FBS) on the last Friday of the academic year. The idea was to introduce all K-8 students to daily healthy habits that lead to better physical and mental outcomes.
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DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
If one wonders about the passions and imaginations in the minds of local 7th and 8th graders, the Personal-Interest-Projects (PIP) at the three Taconic & Green middle schools, were something to behold.
“The secret of PIP success is to ‘de-schoolarize’ the project, if that’s a word,” said Flood Brook teacher Cliff DeMarais. “The kids take all the skills they’ve learned in school and transfer them to researching, presenting and defending a topic of their own interest.The less involvement from teachers, the better.”
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CURRIER STUDENTS BROWSE NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE
The students had learned their retail etiquette lesson well. “How do we behave in a store filled with customers?” asked their teacher.
Hands shot up: “We need to be quiet and polite,” said one third grader. “We need to say 'excuse me' if we walk around someone,” said another. “We need to wait our turn to look at books on a shelf and always be respectful and kind,” added a third.
The kids at Currier Memorial School (CMS) were on their annual odyssey to the Northshire Bookstore Manchester. On May 7th and 8th, four groups of 10-15 students each traveled by bus from Danby to a store featuring a floor designed for children as part of its entire collection of some 300,000 books.
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BRSU GIRLS: BORN TO RUN
Electricity and joy filled the Dana l. Thompson Memorial Park on Saturday, June 8th with the annual Girls on the Run 5K. Some 35 schools participated in the event, including five from the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU): The Dorset School, Sunderland Elementary, Currier Memorial, Mettawee and Manchester Elementary Middle School.
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T&G FINDS KEYS TO SUCCESS
T&G Middle School Success can be summed up by the lunch at its first ever district-wide Field Day held at the Rafters in South Londonderry. The students created the menu and prepared the meal: Walking Tacos. You start by crunching a small bag of Doritos before you open the top. Next add the ingredients of your choice: ground beef, turkey, onions, lettuce, cheese and/or tomato. Mix with a plastic fork, or just use your hand, and you’re ready to walk, talk, and mingle with your friends as you dine.
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JOYFUL WORK: FEEDING THE CHILDREN
The Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU) offered free summer meals for all kids 18 years old and younger this summer, thanks to the SUN program (Summer Food Service Program). SUN is a federally funded service from the United States Department of Agriculture designed to help feed children 18 years and younger during the summer months.
“We were already staffed up to provide meals for summer school students at Currier and MEMS (Manchester Elementary Middle School),” says Stephanie Gates, Director of BRSU Food Services. “When I found out about the opportunity to provide free meal kits for kids in our area, I knew it was the right decision to add more to our plate. After all, we’re talking about feeding kids.”
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UNLEASH THE SMILES
The four-legged visitor sparked an animated classroom conversation about pets among the third graders at Manchester Elementary Middle School (MEMS). One student observed, “Whenever I’m feeling sad, my dog comes running to me for a ‘lick attack’ on my face.”
The instigator of this joyful discussion is a three and a half year old therapy dog named Little Bear. Since early October, she has been making weekly check-ins at MEMS to lift spirits and engage with students.
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN: BRSU STYLE
All six BRSU schools celebrated the ghoulish holiday of Halloween in their own special way.
Some paraded through towns, another circled the village green and performed an all-school dance, one brought the school together for a student-staff soccer match, another saw families celebrate at an evening family Halloween “celebration”, and one held an outdoor concert with Halloween songs followed by reading “creepy” stories in the library and snacks in the gym. The common themes across the board were colorful costumes, creativity, family, community, and joy.
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TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK A VETERAN
It never gets old. The Mettawee Community School’s annual tradition of hosting a Veteran’s Day breakfast for local service men and women always moves and impresses young and old alike.
For the students, it’s an opportunity to share a special moment with a family member, friend or neighbor who sacrificed and served in the United States military. For the veterans, it’s a chance to be with future generations and receive their admiration and gratitude.
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MAGICAL MUSIC AT SUNDERLAND
The weather outside was threatening, but inside the Sunderland Elementary School (SES) a standing room only crowd was treated to an evening of delight. Students from all grades played instruments, sang, danced, drummed, and enchanted an audience to the sounds of the Sunderland Winter Concert.