Mountain Village School News

“Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"... "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine...”   -Frances Hodgson Burnett, from The Secret Garden Parent Potluck Minutes It was great to see folks come out for our parent potluck on Thursday! We reviewed school safety policies and had discussions regarding kindergarten readiness. Here are some of the notes from that meeting: We were fortunate to have Rachael Keaton, kindergarten teacher at Stowe Elementary School join us for the evening to answer questions. Thanks Rachael! By far the biggest developmental focus for children headed to kindergarten is social and emotional.  Children that are able to navigate social interactions with peers, follow directions from a teacher, maintain self-control while in a large group, wait for a turn, ask for help, handle disappointment, and so on, will be better able to find success in the classroom.  Academic growth will come easier when...

More on Early Childhood Day at the Legislature As mentioned last week, we're taking a moment to discuss some of the key points from the Early Childhood Day at the Legislature. A big part of the work from that day continues to be the advocacy involved in telling our representatives in Montpelier about the importance of investing in early childhood education to benefit parents and children now and in the future.  Sarah spent time talking to local reps about the need to increase the qualifying scale for child care subsidies so that more families can qualify, and, discussed increasing the overall rate of subsidy reimbursement. More information on this type of funding can be found by taking a look at the 2016 agenda for the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance.  There you'll also find more about the pressing issues the VECA hopes to move forward in the coming months. Another area of focus was how to support programs and educators so that the highest level of care is accessible to ...

As Heard At MVS on a Gray and Rainy Thursday this Week: "Guys, it's going to be a beautiful day to play outside!". -SM, Pre-K While we adults tend to groan and lament the prospect of a dreary, rainy day, the view is quite different from the eyes of another beholder. The children love and appreciate the changing weather. There's so much excitement that comes with rain drops, there's possibility that can unfold in puddles and joy in the wonder of something new. It's always a beautiful day to play outside... Early Childhood Day at the Legislature This week Sarah attended the annual Early Childhood Day at the Legislature in Montpelier. Next week we will dig into all of the issues discussed by the advocates in attendance. A big focus was on improving early childhood programs throughout the state of Vermont and just what it takes to put some of the big ideas into practice. Another aspect of the day was the gubernatorial forum, where candidates f...

We could be in for some warmth and melting this week, please be sure your child is equipped with the proper clothing: warm clothing as well as rain gear and/or Tuffo suits and rain boots. Many thanks! Classroom Happenings Infant I: Our older infants have been exploring the different weather patterns outside: the snow, the rain and the warm sun. They enjoyed watching the older children run and play in the slippery snow...watching them fall seemed to be an especially fascinating part of their observations, causing many of the babies to laugh. The older children were also very happy to play in the mud and puddles, and checking out all of the sensory experiences going on there. The younger infants are working on playing independently on the floor including sitting upright and rolling around. We are also happy to welcome Amanda back to the classroom! Infant II: Exploring the rain, one of our favorite things! Then, exploring the snow, another of our favorite things! The children have b...