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UPCOMING PTO EVENTS
Friday, June 5th: Last Day of School Parade,12:30-1:30 (download parade route map here) As we receive more guidance on what the start of the school year will look like, we will send out information about our traditional MCS PTO early-season events such as Popsicles on the Playground and the Kindergarten Potluck. |
What a crazy spring it has been! No one would have predicted a spring filled with remote learning but thanks to our amazing teachers, staff and families, many great MCS traditions were preserved or recreated in new and different ways. The PTO would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire MCS community and all the volunteers for a great 2019-2020 school year. We are so lucky to have such an active and engaged parent/guardian community, your help really makes a difference in the school and in the lives of our children. Thank you to the PTO officers, finance committee, program and event coordinators and classroom reps, we couldn’t do it without all your help! We also want to express our gratitude to the MCS staff and parents for your support and participation in PTO program and events. Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer!
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Farewell and Thank You to PTO Co-Chairs
Emily Bradley & Amy Staggs!
The end of the school year marks the end of Emily Bradley and Amy Staggs’s two years as PTO co-chairs. It’s been an amazing two years, full of fun community activities and fundraising events. Thank you Emily & Amy for your great leadership, commitment to MCS, and the incredible energy, organization and enthusiasm you brought to your role. You will be missed!
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Summer Garden
Volunteers Needed! 
The MCS vegetable and flower gardens need your help! We are in need of individuals and family volunteers to water, plant and weed on weekly shifts. Parent leadership is wanted to take on flower/perennial garden organizing/work. Please sign up via this google doc or contact traceyhayeswarren@gmail.com. | Teacher Appreciation Pie Day Thank You! 
Thank you all so very very much for all your generous orders! All Staff at MCS received a DELICIOUS home baked pie from Blue Sparrow! Thank you MCS community for showing your support of our educators and our local businesses during this challenging time! |
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Thoughts from LEEEP in the Era of "Remote Learning"
 | LEEEP without children is like Toast without marmalade Breakfast without tea Spring without flowers Looking at changes in the season without children is like Looking at a bird that doesn't sing Watching for sprouts that don't emerge Watching a choir sing but not being able to hear the music.
| | Teaching LEEEP online is rather the polar opposite of what the program is supposed to be, and truthfully, it is rather sad. But I am reminding myself that we are all healthy and all putting our best foot forward! In that vein, I am attempting to "teach" about the outdoors via videos and photos that you can access via this link, LEEEP Resources for Families. Highlights of the spring have been, first and foremost, getting messages, photos, and little videos about your time exploring outside with your children. It is so wonderful to see those. Thank you! Also, releasing the beautiful 5th grade brook trout with Matt Buck and Rob Cramer, watching the spotted salamanders doing their race-walk to the vernal pool in the dark of the first warm rainy night, and figuring out the mystery of the flipped over cow flops! (You can see a bit about these events via the link.) I hope they will inspire forays of your own. |  | Sugaring was, as everything else, missing something. Children! But after a late start due to equipment issues, we got the evaporator going and made 2 gallons of syrup which we will enjoy at some point in the fall. | It is now gardening season and I am planting the raised beds and the Giving Garden for us to enjoy in the fall and to donate to Willing Hands. If anyone would like to join, (there is plenty of room to spread out), please come any time, or sign up on the garden volunteer document here. Right now, I am weeding, adding fresh soil/compost, and then planting seeds. I will put in young plants after Memorial Day. I hope you all can take many adventure walks together with your children this spring and summer. The silver lining to this is the time families can hopefully spend together in the outdoors. Thank you, PTO, for all your support for this program.
– Lindsay |
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PTO Spring Book Program
This spring, in lieu of spring grants, the PTO purchased a book for each and every MCS student to assist in their at-home education. The PTO contacted each classroom teacher for a request. Most wanted a book to pair with curriculum though a few were open to a free reading choice. Our librarian, Joy Blongewicz was kind enough to offer wonderful suggestions for each grade level for free reading choices. The Norwich Bookstore special ordered all of the books for the PTO and we are so grateful for their help and hard work to complete this huge order. Some teachers have already delivered their books to the students along with new supplies they were sending home. However, many books are still available for pick up in the vestibule of the school. Please check with your teacher if you student is missing their book. Happy Reading! |
Keep Scanning Those Receipts!!
We need your help to keep our Box Tops earnings going! Don't forget to scan your grocery receipts into the Box Tops App to help MCS earn money toward great tools for our school! Haven't heard about the new set-up?
 Box Tops is changing to become completely digital and the the new App has been launched! Download the BoxTops4Education App to start scanning your receipts. Your purchases can be directly added to MCS earnings without any clipping!
First, download the app. Then follow the guide to select MCS as your school Each time you shop, you have 14 days to scan your receipt. Since this is a brand new program some packaging continues to have the old Box Top logos on them. You may still cut these out and bring in to school if you would like. There will remain a collection box on Joy's desk in the office and one on the PTO bulletin board. Any questions you have about this program please direct to the PTO Box Top chairperson Fiona Palm (garrettandfiona@yahoo.com), she is happy to help! Have fun scanning!!! |
 | | STEPHANIE ANDRUS
Stephanie Andrus came to Marion Cross in 2000 and has spent 20 years working with teachers and students across all grade levels. Stephanie has a background in science and brings strong knowledge to all curriculum areas. Her dedication to her students and her willingness to do whatever is necessary to advance their learning has made her a valued member of many grade level teams. Stephanie likes to be kept busy and she never hesitated to move from class to class or to take on an extra recess duty to increase her time with students. Although she only worked half-time and headed home each day at noon, Stephanie never hesitated to work extra hours for a field trip or to attend students’ evening performances. Students and teachers alike will miss Mrs. Andrus's incredible competence, her sense of humor, her kindness, and her focused hard work. We wish Stephanie all the best in her retirement. |
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 | | JONATHAN FENTON
How do you say goodbye to an institutional pillar? For the last 17 years, Jonathan Fenton has been at the heart of the Marion Cross School, teaching 5th and 6th grade. Jonathan's passionate approach for being directly connected with his students and providing them with intensely rich learning opportunities is a model for student learning and hard work. The study of Ancient Greece is a seminal experience for Marion Cross students. Standing on the bema, reciting the Greek alphabet or debating about a historic dilemma, dressed in classic Greek attire, is a rite of passage through Mr. Fenton's fifth grade social studies class. Not to mention the epic homeroom birthday celebrations, community service trips to the Haven, persuasive speeches to the select board, grammar with flavor, saxophone lessons, 5th grade band, and Crispin read aloud at the stone circle.
Jonathan cares deeply for those around him - his family, his students, his colleagues, and his community. From a personal delivery of a coffee on a cold winter morning to bringing his dog Daisy for Saturday morning lacrosse games at Huntley Meadow, from long conversations in the hallway to after school playground connections, Jonathan looks out for those in his community. There is not a time, even at the dump on a Saturday morning, that Mr. Fenton won’t stop to hear a story from a student. He might even persuade you to pursue a law degree at Harvard!
Jonathan, Mr. Fenton, K. Fenton, Jon. One and the same. Whether you were a student or colleague, his approach is the same. Concern, caring, questioning and understanding. Sometimes strongly, sometimes gently, sometimes jokingly - always with reasoning. Always questing for justice and truth. Day in day out, year after year, supporting the people around him. Always coming to our rescue to help or solve. At some point in our lives, we all say goodbye, though we may not feel ready or prepared; life changes, life continues on. Nonetheless with the departure from Marion Cross of Mr. Fenton, his teaching, his passion, his influence will be here for a long time to come. Thank you, Jonathan, from the bottom of our hearts. |
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 | | LISA HOLLEY
When we think back on Lisa Holley’s many years at MCS, we will remember her passion and steadfast pursuit of excellence. She believed in pushing the boundaries of her own learning, not just for herself, but also to inspire her students, particularly related to science. In the summer of 2014, Mrs. Holley traveled with an Earthwatch Expedition to a tropical rainforest in Indonesia to participate in her first scientific inquiry. She spent her days investigating this ecosystem and collecting data; and her evenings removing the massive leeches that had crawled into pockets and up her pant legs. This was heaven for Lisa! Real science, real research, and a real challenge! When she returned to Vermont, Lisa was determined to share the magic of the tropical rainforest with her students, to inspire them to wonder at things beyond their immediate world, and to show them the connections between this far away place and our own. She worked with them to create an almost-living rainforest on the atrium wall, the likes of which will never be matched. The profusion of epiphytes! The vibrancy of the orchids and the Rafflesia arnoldii! And right alongside it, the students created an equally impressive mural of our Vermont woods, each forest layer blending into the other. As well as this stunning work of art, the children made scientific illustrations in their journals of jungle lycophytes and Vermont rock polypody. She challenged her students every day to do their very best work and she expected the same from herself, but, crucially, she fostered risk-taking and welcomed misteaks(!) mistakes in the process of learning. Her students thrived in this environment.
As a member of the science committee, Lisa brought a contagious energy and enthusiasm for all fields of science, influencing teachers and students alike. Lisa was one of the first to understand that because scientists use journals to record their observations, our students should too. Every year she invited scientists from the community to share their own journals, thereby creating connections between her third graders and working scientists. Lisa has a deep reverence for the natural world and was determined to instill the concept that stewardship of the Earth is a responsibility, not a choice. She volunteered her classes to turn the (smelly!) compost, and to educate the whole school with skits and posters how to compost correctly. On one Earth Day, Lisa’s students chose and illustrated inspiring quotes from respected environmental leaders and posted them all over town. Another time, working with a local organization concerned with traffic density, they collected and analyzed data about the number of commuters crossing the bridge and worked to educate the community about alternatives to driving solo. She was determined to empower her students to think for themselves and to know that they could help make change.
We asked a former student what she remembered about Mrs. Holley’s classroom. She looked wistful, “It was orderly and very peaceful. I loved going to school. There were plants on the window sills, a twisted vine that was just a curiosity, the colors on the walls were soft, and the pictures and posters inspired wonder.†The projected image that greeted her students every morning was of a meadow’s edge. There was a stone wall, interrupted by a gate that led to a dirt path into a forest. The lighting was magical and the path seemed to go on forever. I believe that image summed up Mrs. Holley’s wish for each of her students. There’s a world of beauty and wonder waiting for you. Embrace it. Cherish it. Better it. |
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 | | JOHN MINELLI
MCS has been extremely fortunate to have John Minelli as the tech coordinator over the past ten years. Many staff members went to see John with their questions, problems and concerns regarding technology issues. It was a rare occasion when a person left his office without their problems being solved. But if the issue was a difficult one for him, he would accept the challenge and would work on it until he found a solution. He thrived on those sorts of challenges. Among other things, John navigated the school through the SBAC testing, ixl and Track My Progress programs, He served on various district-wide advisory committees. He introduced iPads and apps to the staff as well as lessons on using the SmartBoard. Students happily learned coding skills as John implemented the Hour of Code and other coding activities. Because of John, a ‘million’ things were taken care of behind the scenes that most people will never know about, but that kept the school prepared for the use and reliability of technology on a day-to-day basis for anyone involved with the school. Teaching was something John thoroughly enjoyed and was happy when he was working with students. He has a contagious laugh and a wonderful sense of humor. There is no doubt that he will be sorely missed both for his talent and knowledge but also for his wisdom and wit. |
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 | BUSINESS PARTNERS SPOTLIGHT
Chippers
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Chippers, a full service landscaping company offers services in tree care, lawn care, garden design, and land enhancement. Chippers has been in business for over 30 years in the Upper Valley and recently launched their new website: www.chippersinc.com. It is a beautiful tour full of gorgeous photos and information on how to care for your land, in addition to clear descriptions of the values of the company and the process for working with them for both big and small jobs! Chippers has been a long time sponsor through the MCS PTO Business Partners program, and welcomes your questions and projects. Be sure to check them out as you plan for ongoing care of your property.
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| THANKS TO OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS! | |
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