Good morning Norwich and beyond,
I receive inquiries often about what happens around town, especially at the Marion Cross elementary school. Whether one has children attending the school or not, there is a fair amount of buzz generated in their newsletter and they also provide links to other happenings around town through their community interest link. Did you know that MCS was ranked the # 1 school in Vermont by the US News and World report.
Enjoy this edition of the MCS newsletter
Demo for About Norwich
Important Dates
Monday, December 24 through Friday, January 3 – December Break, No School
Thursday, January 2, 6:30pm - Norwich School Board Meeting, MCS Library and Zoom
Thursday, January 9, 6:30pm Norwich School Board Public Hearing and Budget Adoption
Monday, January 20 - Civil Rights Day - School Closed
Thursday, January 23, 5:30-6:30pm - Literacy Night
Monday, February 17 through Friday, February 21 - February Break, No School
Tuesday, March 4 - Voting Day
Friday, March 7, 6:00-8:00pm - BINGO Night, hosted by the PTO
Monday, March 10 - Teacher In-Service, No School
Friday, March 14 - Family Conferences, No School
Marion Cross School Website Calendar SAU 70 All School/District Website Calendar
Message From The Principal
***
Keeping Our School Safe: What I Learned at the Threat Assessment Training
This week, I had the opportunity to attend a daylong training on School Threat Assessment, a process that helps us identify, assess, and respond to potential risks in order to keep our students and staff safe. The training emphasized that many school incidents can be prevented when we act early, and that the focus of threat assessment is on support, not punishment. I wanted to share some key takeaways with you so you understand how we’re working to ensure our school remains a safe and positive place for all students.
Why Threat Assessment Is Important
Behavioral Threat Assessment is a proactive approach recommended by the Federal Commission on School Safety and required by law in many states. Here in Vermont, a new law passed last year requires every school to have a trained threat assessment team in place. This law ensures that we are prepared to act swiftly and effectively to protect all students and staff.
How It Works: Key Steps in Threat Assessment
The goal of threat assessment is to prevent violence, not to punish students. When a concern arises, our team follows a structured process:
Receive and Screen the Report: Whether it’s from a student, parent, or staff member, any report of a potential threat is taken seriously and reviewed immediately.
Gather Information: We collect additional details from teachers, school records, and anyone who may have relevant information. This helps us understand the full context of the situation.
Analyze the Information: The team carefully reviews the information to assess the level of concern and determine if there’s a risk to safety.
Make an Assessment: Based on this analysis, we determine whether there’s a legitimate threat and what actions need to be taken.
Provide Intervention and Support: If a threat is identified, we develop a plan to support the student. This could include counseling, conflict resolution, or other resources to address the underlying issues in a non-violent way.
Monitor Progress: We continue to follow up with the student and monitor the situation to ensure that the intervention is effective and that the student is on the right path.
Document and Close the Case: Once the issue has been resolved, we close the case and keep thorough documentation to ensure accountability and transparency.
The Goal: Prevent, Support, and Help
The primary focus of threat assessment is not on punishment, but on helping students who may be struggling with personal issues, emotions, or challenges. We ask ourselves, “Is this student on a pathway to violence, and if so, how can we help them change course?” The approach is always non-adversarial, focused on understanding the root causes of the behavior and providing solutions that steer students away from harm.
Key Training Areas: A Comprehensive Approach
The training also covered several important areas to ensure fairness and understanding in our assessments:
Exclusionary Discipline: We’re mindful of the negative consequences of excluding students from school, like suspension, which can increase isolation and disengagement. Instead, we focus on keeping students connected to school and providing support.
Impact of Trauma: Many behaviors stem from underlying trauma. The training helped us understand how trauma affects brain development and behavior, allowing us to approach situations with empathy and care.
Bias Training: We also received training on recognizing and addressing unconscious biases, ensuring that we treat all students fairly and equitably, regardless of their background or situation.
Why This Is So Important
The goal of threat assessment is to create a safe, supportive environment for all students. We know that when students feel heard, understood, and supported, they are less likely to engage in harmful behavior. The sooner we can identify students who are struggling, the sooner we can intervene with the right resources to help them.
Threat assessment is about preventing violence, not creating fear. By acting quickly, gathering information, and supporting students in need, we can prevent problems from escalating and ensure that every student has the chance to succeed in a safe and nurturing environment.
What Does This Mean for Our School?
Thanks to the new law passed in Vermont, our school is now required to have a trained threat assessment team in place. This law ensures that all schools are equipped with the tools and expertise to address potential threats before they escalate. We are committed to using this process to help prevent violence and support every student.
By implementing a proactive approach like threat assessment, we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that students receive the help they need before situations become dangerous. This process helps us address concerns early and provide targeted interventions that promote peace and well-being for all.
As always, we are here to partner with you in keeping our school community safe. If you have any questions or concerns about our safety measures, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
***
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mr. Ramsey, our talented music teacher, Ms. Eastman, our creative art teacher, all of our wonderful students, and the entire school community for making our Winter Concerts a spectacular success! A huge appreciation to our facilities department for transporting the risers and chairs from other SAU 70 schools. The concert was truly a celebration of music, culture, and community, with multicultural song selections. Our students shone brightly as proud performers, and the audience was a stellar support, filled with enthusiasm and joy. Special thanks to Mr. Ramsey for his leadership and dedication, which helped bring this memorable performance to life. Some of you asked about the wishes that were shared. The wishes and wish jars were part of the Community Read Day celebration orchestrated by Ms. Van Ells. The concert was further illuminated by the added charm of the wish jars, which added a warm, festive touch to the evening. We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to making this concert a night to remember!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Shawn
Student Services Update
What a busy and fun-filled week!
If your children are feeling at all like me, they are tired. The early sunsets, special school schedules, and amazing evening music concerts have all contributed to fatigue.
Even with all our weekday and weekend commitments, it is a great idea to take a moment to ensure there is structure and down time in our, and our students' lives.
Have a healthy and restful weekend,
Greg
Counselor's Corner
School News and Information
The Friends of Hanover Norwich Schools (non-profit organization) - End of year donations
The Friends supports our four-school community by funding mini-grants proposed by teachers and staff in the Fall and Spring. Your charitable end-of-year tax-deductible donation to the Friends allows our community to continue its commitment to high quality and innovative education for all of our children.
Past grants have funded things you may have seen in recent years:
Collaboration opportunities for students - like 3rd grade small white boards for student group problem solving at Ray
Innovative academic supports - like the decodable readers at Marion Cross
Deepening STEM opportunities - like Design Engineering And The Physics Of Flight at Richmond Middle
Expanding enrichment - like the Poetry Out Loud and the Electronic Music Lab at Hanover High
Donate today to help our Hanover-Norwich students continue to thrive tomorrow!
MCS is starting a Theater Arts Program!
Please take a moment to fill out this interest survey as we begin the planning process.
Contact: Diana Cathcart
PTO Bulletin Board
Thank you to all who attended and helped make the Gift Making Festival a big success! It was really nice to see so many sweet faces hard at work, creating gifts for those they love!!!
19 Days of Norwich Collection: We are collecting OATMEAL packets for the Haven Food Pantry. There is a large box in the lobby of the school, and you can drop them off at any time next week! Thank you!
Cafeteria Committee: Our amazing Environmental Educator, Chrissy Morley, has secured a grant to bring a Soup and Sandwich Day to MCS! She has reached out to the PTO looking for support. Join the Cafeteria Committee to support this exciting initiative.
Winter grants opening on January 6: Do you have a great idea for the students at MCS? If you missed the fall PTO grant cycle, we will reopen for grants (on a rolling basis) starting on January 6. More info to come.
1/10/2025: Our next PTO meeting will be on January 10 at 8:15 in the MCS Multi. Hope to see you there!
Courtesy Community Interest Posts
Marion Cross School
22 Church Street
Norwich, Vermont
802-649-1703
Thanks for reading and supporting my newsletter
