Dear Parents & Guardians,

A HUGE thank you to the entire 8th grade class and Mrs. Rabasca for helping us to pull of the first Diversity Day at Tremont Consolidated School. The 8th grade class spent time over the past few weeks, taking on a leadership role, researching and planning for lessons to teach to classes K-7. All students, through either teaching, listening or doing, learned about celebrating and appreciating the diversity among us. It was a wonderful heartwarming experience.

The 7th and 8th grade have been working on a project called "All About Arsenic" in science class with the MDI Biological Laboratory. Jane Disney has been visiting to help students develop questions about data collected and helping us to compare it to schools across Maine and New Hampshire. They will be putting together an informational booth at the science fair to showcase their research.

5th and 6th graders will begin a study on Invasive and Native Species after April vacation. This is a pilot program that was developed by the Acadia National Park Teacher Fellowship Program. Billy Helprin, Director of the Somes Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary, will join classes throughout the unit to guide student learning and exploration.

For students in grades 6-8, the Tremont Science Fair will be on May 9th from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. If you are a parent of a 6-8th grade student, please check in with your child about their progress and contact Mrs. White for details. We would love for the community to join us to see all the exciting work our students have accomplished.

We have just a few reminders for school visitors and community members. During dismissal at the end of the day, we ask that all visitors waiting for students enter through the main entrance and remain in the main lobby while students make their way to the lobby to be picked up. We recognize that this can take a few minutes, as the end of the day is a busy time. We appreciate your patience and understanding around this process, as it helps us to ensure that we know who is in the building and where they are.

We often have families ask about bringing in a special treat for a student’s birthday. Although this is very generous, the AOS has a wellness policy that we are working hard to follow. Please know that all snacks need to be discussed ahead of time with the classroom teacher. We have attached a list of healthy snack/celebration options to this week's Wildcat Weekly. The policy states:

Snacks/Celebrations

School celebrations containing food should be considered an opportunity to reinforce nutrition lessons and put lessons into practice. To minimize the risk of allergic reactions to food, increase food safety, and to help promote healthy habits within the school, a list of approved foods has been created. Approved foods, and/or foods prepared in the school kitchen, will be allowed. The use of non-food items at classroom parties, school celebrations, and as fundraisers is encouraged.