Photos:

Photo 1: Outdoor education with 2C and Ms. Eliza! Outdoor Education is for all!

Photo 2: Bridges Math in action with 3B. Welcome Ms. Brown to TCS!

Photo 3: 1M is getting organized in the hallway! September is all about getting our routines, and expectations in place.

Photo 4: Tunbridge Fair is Here!

Hello First Branch,

It's Tunbridge Fair week for K-8th grade! We are looking forward to a wonderful day and need your help! We still need chaperones, class helpers, a few permission slips, and family ID filled out. Please contact the main office to let us know if you can help. Chaperones have had background checks with the SU, and Class Helpers can be with the class for support or with a chaperone for support with a group of students. Our pick up at the Fair will be different if your student is not riding the bus back to school.

Critical Need This Week:

Since Aug 11th we have shared info about registering your new and returning students into Family ID. We are now past the deadline. Our front office will reach out to families on Monday about appointments. If a child is not updated in family ID they cannot go to the Fair on Thursday. In addition, a pause on attending school may occur following Thursday. This is critical and an SU expectation to all school districts. The best way to avoid this is to connect with us so we can help. 

Family ID: Each year all families must either register or update their Family ID account per student enrolled in WRVSU schools from preschool-12th grade. Information is then entered into our student information system (Web2School) and from there to Blackboard (school-wide email, text, and phone system) and Constant Contact (Friday News). This must be completed yearly for communication, photo permission, health, and emergency needs. All returning students must also update or register if they have yet to do so in the past. Use the link below and click on the option needed: returning student, new student, or preschool. If you need help, we need to know so we can schedule a time for you to come in and work with our main office staff. Our front office will call families not in the system on Monday to schedule appointments. 

Link: First Branch Landing Page

Attire for Fair:

Please send students dressed for the weather. Lunch will be provided by the school unless you would rather pack your own lunch. All students are to wear their First Branch tie-dye shirt. All chaperones and class helpers, we ask you to wear tie dye, too. We have some extra shirts if needed. 

What if my student just Tie Dyed?

Students that just tie-dyed with Mrs. Cash at TCS will have their shirts ready for pick up at school. Mrs. Cash took these home to process for ease. CPS shirts will be ready the morning of the Fair. Students at CPS can also elect to take them home. Please have the shirts dry in the sun, then wash them with cold water. The shirts are outside by the shop door.

Pick Up From The Fair: 

This year, we are working with part of our emergency response teams to start troubleshooting if and when we had to move students where we would go and how would we run the reunification aspect. This could be for extreme weather, a fire, an issue in one of our towns, or another emergency need.

We are rolling out a very gentle system to see what can work. Please know there is no reason to worry. This is a good thing. If you are picking up your student from the Fair, you must meet us at the First Branch Tent. There a staff member will meet you and ask who you are picking up. ID will need to be presented as well as meeting clearance for pick up on Family ID or via note submitted in advance. We will then have you sign out your student(s). We will also have a well-versed staff member to assist if there is a concern on ID or a hiccup. If you are picking up another family's student, we need a note from the child about this. When you depart the tent, you will receive a document that shares what our process would look like if there were an emergency. Please note we do not consider this an emergency, and we want to start clarifying with families how we support students if there is an emergency.

What if My Child Is Missing School Because They Are Showing at the Fair?

Please reach out to Mr. Rivers and Mrs. Cash. Students missing school for the fair are marked absent until students return. To earn attendance credit for the day missed, students need to share a poster, slideshow, or presentation about their time. Mrs. Cash and Mr. Rivers are also more than willing to stop by to see them in action! Please share when the student will show. We will get someone there! We are also looking for students to present at the next board meeting Oct. 3rd. Students should share these presentations with their class and with the main office. We ask families to contact the main office to note the student is out for the day or days and the reason.

Events this Week:

9/14: Tunbridge Fair K-8th Grade

Chaperone: Must have a background check completed, can ride the bus and can be with a small group of students on their own.

Class Helper: Does not need a background check as per the SU, must provide their own transportation and cannot be left with students (beyond their own) alone.

Please reach out to your teacher to assist!

On the Horizon:

9/21/2023: Mr. River reads to remaining classes at TCS!

9/21/2023: Open Houses TCS, K-4th

• 5-6 pm Pot Luck
• 6-7 pm Classroom Visits
• K-2nd Grade: Please bring a side to share. 
• 3-4th Grade:Please bring a dessert to share.
• 
  

9/28/2023: Open House, CPS, PreK & 5th-8th

• 5-6 pm Pot Luck
• 6-7 Classroom Visits
• 5-6th Grade: Please bring a side to share. 
• 7-8th Grade:Please bring a dessert to share

Oct 2023: Clubs for CPS

We are excited to announce a few after school activities for CPS for students 5th-8th grade. We have a Charcoal Drawing class in the works and a World Language class (Mandarin). We are looking for community members to join in and support this work with compensation. Do you have a skill or hobby you can share? We would love to learn it with you. Contact Janet Cash, [email protected]. This is made possible by the Community + Schools Grant!

*The Mandarin class is as a result of Mrs. Cash winning a free class package at the Vermont Principal Association Conference.

Reminders:

Bus Route Schedule Update: Click Here (9/1, no changes from this week)

First Branch Handbook: click here.

• Friends of First Branch: Please consider joining our community organization “Friends of First Branch.” You can join at any time by contacting our volunteer team at [email protected], all are welcomed!

Janet Cash

Principal, First Branch Unified District

Follow Up In Real Time!

Facebook: First Branch Unified District

Instagram: @first_branch

Photos:

Photo 1: CPS using their ROADS binder to stay on top of their schedule, and to do lists in assignments.

Photo 2: CPS Prek Students out and about in the forest.

Photo 3: Ms. M's 5-6 Humanities class checking in using Responsive Classroom guided instruction to check in on students. Thank you Ms. M!