HMS NEWSLETTER | January 24, 2020

Hilltop Montessori School's mission is for students to practice responsible independence in a caring community of curious, critical learners and thoughtful citizens.

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Next Week Monday, January 27 LE & UE Knitting, 3:15-4:30 MS Basketball Game at Twin Valley, 4:30pm Tuesday, January 28 Open House for Prospective Families, 9-11am UE Basketball Game at Putney Central, 5:30pm Wednesday, January 29 LE & UE Knitting, 3:15-4:30 MS Basketball, 3:15-4:30 UE Basketball Game at Dummerston, 5:30pm Thursday, January 30 Mountain Days, 12pm-3pm Friday, January 31 UE basketball, 3:15-4:30

Upcoming Monday, February 3 LE & UE Knitting, 3:15-4:30 MS Basketball Game at Putney Central, 4pm Tuesday, February 4 UE Basketball, 3:15-4:30 Wednesday, February 5 LE & UE Knitting, 3:15-4:30 MS Basketball game at Putney Central, 4pm Thursday, February 6 Mountain Days, 12pm-3pm Friday, February 7 LE Theater Field Trip, 11am UE basketball, 3:15-4:30 Saturday, February 8 Curriculum Morning, 9am-12pm

Notes From the Board

The HMS Board of Trustees convened for our first meeting of the new year! We started the meeting with a presentation from the Upper Elementary teaching team, who graciously took some time from preparing student evaluations to discuss how they are incorporating anti-bias work into their curriculum. In particular, they mentioned bringing in local Abenaki leaders to guide learning in a number of different areas. They have also been exploring the construction of stereotypes, -isms, and -phobias, and the impact both that it can have on students’ lives AND the actions students can take to make a positive difference to help combat harmful assumptions. We encourage you to discuss this work with the teachers themselves, and come to the Anti-Bias and Equity Work Group to participate in discussions both larger and grittier about how we can work on this as a community! And then, of course, down to business. We spent a significant amount of time discussing the proposed 2020-21 budget, and thank our Treasurer Travis Shine for his detailed explanations and the Finance Committee for putting such thought into constructing the budget. We feel confident that this budget will keep us on the sustainable path of both growing the endowment and expanding equitable access to Hilltop’s programming within the community, and we are grateful for the responsible financial stewardship of the HMS administration! We also want to remind everybody about our upcoming open Board meeting on Friday, March 27 . We are excited about this one! The theme is PIES! Yes, you heard it, PIES! Everybody is invited to come learn about the workings of the HMS Board. We will be providing sweet and savory pies for everybody’s enjoyment, and the event coincides with a Kid’s Night Out, so feel free to sign your kids up with our capable Middle School child care team, come learn about what we do, and enjoy the culinary skills of the current Board of Trustees. Keep your eyes out for more announcements in the newsletter as we get closer to the date. Stay in touch!

Notes From the Business Office

It’s that time of year again! Below is some tax information that may be useful to you. If you have any questions you should consult a tax professional.   Hilltop Montessori School’s tax ID number is: 03-0229430 Free tax preparation assistance may be available, to see if you qualify click here. Vermont Tax Credits  You could qualify for child tax credits on your state income tax return if you: Work, Had children living with you, and Earned less than $50,162 ($55,952 if married filing jointly) Vermont offers tax relief to employees who have dependent care expenses in order to stay in the workforce. Taxpayers have two options for a child and dependent care credit: Credit for Child and Dependent Care or The Low-Income Child and Dependent Care Credit Credit for Child and Dependent Care If you are eligible for the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit you qualify for the state tax credit. Credit Amount: The tax credit amount is 24% of the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Credit Limitation: You must be eligible for and receive the Federal tax credit. This credit is nonrefundable. Low Income Child and Dependent Care Credit To qualify for this credit, you must meet the following criteria: $29,999 or less adjusted gross income for filing Single or Head of Household $39,999 or less adjusted gross income for filing Married Joint or Civil Union Joint Use a Qualifying provider (meaning the provider is accredited or has 3, 4, or 5 stars) Hilltop is a 5-star provider. Credit Amount: The tax credit amount is 50% of the federal Child and Dependent Care Expense Credit Credit Limitation: You must be eligible for and receive the Federal tax credit. This is a refundable credit. Vermont Earned Income Tax Credit The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC or EIC) is a benefit for working people with low to moderate incomes. To qualify, you must meet certain requirements for federal EITC and file a Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, even if you do not owe any tax or are not required to file. EITC is a refundable credit that may reduce the amount of tax you owe or give you a refund.

Mountain Days

Curriculum Morning

Toddler Program

Maisie and Josephine have moving up time in Children's House this week.

Children's House

We have been discussing peace and kindness in conjunction with Martin Luther King Day. We’ve been reading several books about MLK Jr. and his legacy. We’ve also been singing rounds of “We Shall Overcome”. His message was one of profound courage and peace and approaching even the most challenging of problems with gentle strength and confidence. May peace be with you!

“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings... ...Let us work together. For unity and peace.” -excerpt from "A Prayer for Peace", Mahatmas Gandhi Social learning is no doubt a huge part of a child’s experience at school. We are fortunate enough to have a very social atmosphere, in which children have many opportunities to practice these skills. In keeping with our mission for responsible independence:  What we see:  Unkind behavior: hitting, pushing, name calling, “you can’t play with us!”  Supported helping behavior: Adult “Can you show Sky how to care for our plants?” “Will you help to roll up the rugs so that they are ready for tomorrow?” Independent Helping behavior: Stepping in to help others without direction “I can help you with that work, I know how to do it!” “Can I help to fold the towels?”  Unpredictable behavior: “He’s being crazy!” What we do:   We guide and support in a way that will allow each child to learn how to navigate challenges, and work towards being able to solve a conflict by themselves.  We observe and offer support when truly needed, and help children build the vocabulary and confidence to do so!   We work with all children to best support the many needs within a social learning environment. We treat all children with love and respect.  Yes, it’s a lot. We’re here to support and care for all children. We hope for peaceful resolution, for positive communication and for the embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s prayer. However, the reality is that we are social beings who need to learn how to be peaceful – it isn’t always intuitive. It is important to us, that children are treated with respect. Even those who are struggling the most to be peaceful and kind. We firmly believe, and research supports , that children of this age are not bullies. As we continue to work with your children, we hope to honor their growth and challenges. With this said, meanness and hurtful behavior is not in anyway supported, nor tolerated. But helping children to understand why without shame and meanness in return is a goal. We are open to discussing our approach, and these challenges directly with you and hope that you feel comfortable coming to us with questions and concerns. We’re here to support you too!

Lower El

It’s been a full week in Lower El, despite being here for only four days.  We shared one of our newer books on morning meeting, A Sweet Smell of Roses, written by Angela Johnson and illustrated by Eric Velazquez, to honor the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. We tied this in to a more familiar book, Martin’s Big Words. The class discussed what “big words” mean-does it have to do with length, or something else? At the book’s end, children suggested that the words Dr. King used were big because they were “very important” and “useful.” We worked with these words-”peace,” “love,” “together,” “freedom,” “harmony”- in groups, and drew images to represent each word. Each group explained why they drew the pictures they did, and we took time to admire everyone’s efforts. We look forward to more rich read alouds and more group discussions in the week to come.

Our now-daily math lessons have allowed us more opportunities to explain our thinking, and to reflect on efficient strategies. If we have a big pile of unifix cubes, for example, what is an organized and efficient way to find out the total? Should we count by ones, or put them in groups of ten, or is there another way? In a subtraction equation with a missing number, how do we figure out what gets put in the blank space? Along with rigor comes fun - more movement activities, and more math warm-ups to get our brains prepared for lessons.  Housekeeping: Please make sure that your child comes to school with a change of shoes and clothes, as we have been snowy and drippy after recess, and we want to keep our carpets clean - and feet dry and warm.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Uri studies and illustrates the five classes of vertebrates. Dylan and Owen work side by side on maps of Africa.

Harper R. makes a mental note while doing her reading group assignment. Cooper and Finn use the Hundred Board to practice skip counting by twos.

Mathematicians organizing and counting their Unifix cubes.

Henry adds detail to his map of Vermont.

Upper El

In conjunction with our own poetry study, our third collaborative workshop with Sandglass Theater took place this week. Danielle Colin, the writer of the emerging Sandglass production, Don’t Rock the Boat , led activities this week in which the students invented backstories and poems about the animal puppets brought by Sandglass. On Thursdays, our class has also been gathering mid-morning to share our poems and give one another feedback and suggestions. As the class is looking at 1800s expansionist policies in the U.S., we viewed a film put out by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, called Indian Problem . (The film, with its beautiful and striking visuals, can be viewed here .) The class will next be looking at the original text of two addresses by native groups related to their sovereignty and culture, one in 1805 by a Seneca chief, the other in 1830 by the Cherokee Nation.  The class moved from structure of the atom to the way atoms of different elements bond to produce molecules that have entirely different properties. The mystery powders lab work from last week was applied to determining the make-up of new mixtures. Meanwhile, our routine spelling, word study, and math lessons continue. The MLK holiday, and our ongoing Peace Ed work which is currently looking at the meaning of ‘prejudice’, provided an opportunity for some discussion of MLK’s life and impact on others. Despite a shortened week, the group accomplished quite a bit! Reminders:  We do need to start class meetings and lessons promptly in the morning, so please see that your child is able to be in the classroom ready to go by 8:30 a.m.  As always, labelled snow boots and outerwear, and indoor shoes, are needed here at school. For many this may mean an extra pair of dry socks that can be needed following recess! All students should have a labelled water bottle in the classroom. Finally, keep your sights on Wednesday, February 12, 1:30 p.m. for the upcoming UE Poetry Performance.

Danielle Colin with Sandglass Theater leads a poetry workshop. Corbin immersed in work. Students take a pause from their poetry and math. Sophia and Sebastian move hay bales for sledding hill safety.

Students come up with stories for animal puppets in collaboration with Sandglass. Thursday Morning Poetry Share. Max works decimal magic with the decimal checkerboard. Skyler and Jen talk about structure of the atom.

Middle School

Melting sea ice versus land ice, planting garlic in January, reading Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, meeting with climate activists, appreciating the snow we skied upon, planning campaigns for change, and writing poems and songs reflecting personal responses to the ongoing climate crisis are just some of the ways we are confronting, studying, and responding to the world around us.

Garlic planting in January?

The science of ice.

Hilltop Community

Kids’ Night Out Friday, January 24th Do you want to have a fun night out on the town? Are you having a hard time finding a babysitter? Do you want your children to have just as much fun as you do while you’re out? Drop your children off at our Arts Barn anywhere between 5:00-9:00 pm on Friday, January 24th to have a night of fun and games with our responsible Middle School babysitters.   There will be fun, games, crafts, and tons more! At least one adult and lots of fun middle schoolers will be there. We will provide snacks, and pizza is available! If you don’t want pizza, please pack a nutritious dinner or feed your child before you come. To attend KNO, your child must be in Children's House or above and be able to use the bathroom independently. This fun night for you and your kids costs only $7.00 an hour and $5.00 for each additional child. Pizza is $5.00 more for two slices. All proceeds from Kids Night Out go to the Hilltop Montessori Middle School Odyssey Fund. Our businesses are an important part of our fundraising, so your support really helps! To sign up or learn more, visit our website. If you have any questions, please email Ava or Marian. We have only 30 spots, so don’t wait, sign up now!

To learn more, you can visit the film's website here.

Community at Large

The 98th Annual Harris Hill Ski Jump is looking for volunteers! Dates: February 15 and 16 Hours needed: anywhere from 9:00-3:00, depending on volunteers position Volunteers get free admission! Please contact Kathryn Einig by email or cell (802) 258-1983 for more information or to sign up.