A Jigsaw Puzzle, NHS Discover Norwich Series, and the Marion Cross Newsletter
In case you missed them
Hello Norwich,
I thought I would post these in case you missed them. This should keep you busy for awhile.
10. Jigsaw Puzzle Feb 2, 2025
From: Cameron Cross <cross.cameron@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2025 23:00:00 -0500
Here's your Sunday jigsaw: https://jigex.com/GsVaA
The 115th Dartmouth Winter Carnival
<https://home.dartmouth.edu/about/winter-carnival> will be from February
6-9, 2025.
This week's puzzle shows 1956: Ullr, the Norwegian god of skiing from the
1956 Carnival.
Click here to see more sculptures from over the years
<https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2022/02/winter-carnival-sculptures>
View a short film covering the Carnival from the 1930s to 1960
<https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2011/01/video-dartmouth-college-winter-carnival-1930s-1960s#modal>
and
even more history of the Carnival
<https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2014/02/five-things-you-should-know-about-winter-carnival-history>
Courtesy Dartmouth College
Cameron Cross
for the
Norwich Historical Society <https://norwichhistory.org/
>11. Discover Norwich begins on Thursday!
From: Sarah Rooker <sarah@norwichhistory.org>
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2025 01:00:00 -0500
Discover Norwich begins on Thursday! This popular Zoom series explores
Norwich’s landscape, history, and culture on Thursday nights in February at
6:30 p.m. It’s a fundraiser for the Norwich Historical Society and we
invite you to make a donation when registering (but donations are
optional). Here’s the link to the program page:
https://norwichhistory.org/discover-norwich-2025/
February 6: The History of Norwich in 10 Houses
Sarah Rooker, NHS Director, takes you through Norwich’s past by exploring
the stories of ten houses. A fun architectural history of Norwich touching
on major moments in Norwich history. Can you guess which ten houses she
will choose?
Join NHS at 6:00 on Zoom for the 2024 Annual Meeting which we will hold
before this talk.
--
Sarah Rooker, Director
Norwich Historical Society
277 Main Street / P.O. Box 1680
Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-0124
www.norwichhistory.orgShawn Gonyaw
Fri, Jan 24, 5:14 PM
Who's Wise Words 1.24.25
Important Dates
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
What a Wonderful First Annual Literacy Night!
We couldn’t be more excited about the success of our first-ever MCS Literacy Night! The gym was filled with families eager to explore fun and engaging literacy activities, and it was heartwarming to see such enthusiastic participation. A huge thank you to Lucy Hampton, our Literacy Interventionist, and Jillian Van Ells, our Librarian, for proposing, planning, and bringing this event to life. It was a wonderful evening where families worked together on literacy-based crafts, games, and activities, all while learning how to support their children’s reading and writing development at home.
A big shout-out to the Dartmouth College English Department and our MCS PTO for their generous support, which made the event possible. Thanks to their sponsorship, we were able to provide delicious pizza for everyone to enjoy, and even added a few fantastic door prizes to make the evening even more special. The energy in the gym was contagious as kids participated in reading fluency activities, vocabulary games, and much more! It was so encouraging to see families engaging with the activities and having fun while strengthening their literacy skills.
We also want to thank Donna, our lead custodian, who worked tirelessly after the event to ensure that the gym was cleaned and ready for PE the next day. Her dedication made it possible for the event to run smoothly, and we’re so grateful for her efforts. Based on the incredible turnout and excitement, we’re thrilled to announce that Literacy Night will be an annual event! We look forward to seeing even more families next year, continuing the celebration of reading and writing. Thank you to everyone who participated and made this night so memorable!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Shawn
Student Services Update
Happy Friday!
It is a priority of all Marion Cross School staff that everyone feels that they belong to our vibrant school community. This past week, I received an email from the Vermont Secretary of Education, Zoie Saunders, congratulating our school on prioritizing social, emotional, and behavioral learning.
Here is the link to the letter.
Have a great weekend,
Greg
Counselor's Corner
Welcome to another exciting week in Class Counsel with Ms. Keel! We’ve been busy learning important lessons about safety and personal boundaries, and I’m thrilled to share our journey with you!
Last week
Last week was all about understanding our bodies and the importance of safe touches! In Mrs. Freeman’s Kindergarten class, students learned a vital rule: a bigger person should only touch private body parts to keep you healthy. We used the correct anatomical names to help everyone feel comfortable discussing this important topic. Meanwhile, in Miss Anderson’s Kindergarten class, we explored safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches, reading the delightful book Don't Hug Doug: He Doesn't Like It to emphasize that some people just don’t like certain touches.
In First Grade, Mrs. Rinehimer and Mr. McLaughlin’s classes continued the conversation about safe and unwanted touches, while Mrs. Trombley's class introduced the Always Ask First Rule, helping students identify "people in charge" they may need to ask before going somewhere.
Second Graders reviewed the touching rule, and in Third Grade, Mrs. Hornak and Mrs. Coleman's classes discussed how to recognize when a touch feels uncomfortable and how to refuse it. Mr. Janerico’s Third Grade class also focused on types of touches and the touching rule.
As we moved into Fourth and Fifth Grades, students reviewed the Private Body Parts Rule, applying it to various scenarios and discussing how to report and refuse if someone tries to break it. Finally, Sixth Graders learned to distinguish between bullying and joking around, engaging in an activity to identify when a joke crosses the line.
Next week
Looking ahead, we have more engaging lessons planned. In Miss Anderson's Kindergarten, we will dive deeper into the Touching Rule. First Graders will continue exploring types of touches and the Touching Rule. Second Graders will practice scenarios to apply their knowledge and keep themselves safe.
In Third Grade, we will also focus on the Touching Rule and apply it to real-life situations. Fourth Graders will wrap up our Safety Unit, reviewing all the ways to stay safe. Fifth Graders will be applying their skills to different scenarios as we near the end of our unit. Lastly, Sixth Graders will revisit their notes from the Joking Around exercise and share their thoughts on the topic.
Things to remember
As we continue our lessons, please remind your children to always communicate openly about their feelings regarding touches and to trust their instincts. Encourage them to speak up if something doesn’t feel right, and reinforce the importance of asking for permission.
Until next time!
Thank you for your continued support in helping our students learn about safety and personal boundaries. Together, we are empowering them to make informed choices. Have a fantastic week ahead.
Warm regards,
Ms. Keel
School News and Information
Theater Arts Program News:
We welcome 4th-6th graders to attend an information session for the before/after school theater arts program on Thursday, January 30th immediately after school in Room 222 (6G/Ms. C’s classroom). Students in grades K-3 and any 4-6 students who are unable to attend but wish to participate in the program will have the opportunity to sign up via the packet that will go out to all K-6 students next week.
Our goal is to build a program that supports all interested students, but it will not be possible without community support. Thank you to those who have offered to volunteer- we need you!
Volunteer support: Family members and guardians who would like to volunteer their time helping to build the program and work with students, but who have not yet completed the volunteer application process, we encourage you to do so at this time. Information on doing so can be found here.
The program will begin Tuesday, February 4th. More details to follow in the packet on days/times (T/W/Th).
PTO Bulletin Board
Winter grant cycle is now open! Are you filled with energy for 2025? We’d love to help make your ideas happen! Our winter grant cycle is now open.
Cafeteria Committee: Join the Cafeteria Committee to support the Soup and Sandwich Day initiative!
Upcoming dates:
Tuesday February 4th: Coffee Talk, 8:15 AM
Friday February 14th: Valentine’s Day Staff Appreciation Breakfast provided by 4th-6th grade families, in the MCS Multi
Friday March 7th: PTO Meeting, 8:15 AM
Friday March 7th: Bingo Night, 6-8 pm
Friday March 21: Winter Grant cycle closes
Courtesy Community Interest Posts
22 Church Street
Norwich, Vermont
802-649-1703