PUTNEY CENTRAL SCHOOL
An exceptional PK-8 School located in beautiful southern Vermont
PCS NEWS 04/18/26
Dear PCS community,
Happy Spring break! We are in the midst of a beautiful Spring here at PCS - the forest is coming alive, we're collecting jackets and sweatshirts galore from the playground, and our halls are full of Spring energy. Here is a few updates as we head into break:
Upcoming Dates
April 18 - 26 - Spring Break
April 25 - Informational Meeting on Education Restructuring - BUHS 2:00 - 4:00 (see flyer below)
April 27 - Return to school
May 6 - School Preview Shows - Newsies Jr!
May 8th-9th - Newsies Jr. Performances
Longer term:
June 15th - 8th grade graduation
June 17th - Final student day (half day)
Student Climate Survey results
Every spring all of our students in grades 3-8, across all of our schools, complete a student climate survey around their experience at PCS. I will share the full report in more depth soon, but here are a few highlights of what our students said
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Our students' sense of belonging across all grade levels ranks in the 99th percentile of schools across the country
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98% percent of our students report that there is a trusted adult at school that they can talk to
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In response to the question "kids in my school are kind to eachother", 80% of our students said, "almost always" or "frequently" (average across our district was 56%), and not a single student said "once in a while" or "almost never".
This data plays a critical role in our growth and development as a school, and we appreciate the thought and care that our students put into completing it.
Newsies Jr!
We cannot wait for Newsies Jr!, the annual musical production that is the product of months of hard work of 45+ students, and the directors (thank you Katy, Mr. T, Sarah and many others). We as a school will all watch a show together during the day on Wednesday, May 6th. There are shows open to the public at the following times:
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Friday May 8th @ 6:00
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Saturday May 9th @ 1:00 and 5:00
All shows are at Landmark College's Greenhoe Theater. Tickets are $5, and are currently for sale in the PCS office, the General Store, Maple Coffee, the Sweet Spot Cafe, and other establishments around town. There are also chocolate bars for sale to raise funds to help send the senior cast to broadway later in May - and 10% of bars have a ticket inside the wrapper!
Cardboard Drive
In the banner below, you will see a newsletter from Garden Coordinator, Ali Wilder. She is seeking any and all cardboard in our greenhouse! Please feel free to drop off cardboard into two piles - cardboard with plastic and cardboard without, in the new greenhouse behind the middle school any time! It is also a nice spot to hang out in on chillier spring days :)
PCS Cooking Classes - Sign ups here
Through our Community Schools grant, PCS is offering three after-school cooking classes this spring to kids in grades 1st through 8th. In each class, a guest chef will help guide help kids in preparing a meal to bring home and feed their families in the school kitchen on Friday afternoon. Classes will run from dismissal until 5pm on the following days. We will have all ingredients and containers for participation, and parents do not need to be present with their kids! There is no cost to participate, and students will come home ready to feed a crew!
May 1st - guest chef Jim Olivier
May 15th - guest chef Mae Knowles
June 5th - guest chef Sam Quintal
You can register here - there are limited spots so sign up early! We will cap enrollment at 6 students to ensure a safe environment for all in the kitchen.
I hope you all have a wonderful week away, and we look forward to seeing our students on Monday the 27th!
Jon
Upcoming Activities, Community Events and More!
Counselor's Corner
Counselor’s Corner
March 2026
Dear Families,
We continue to be busy in the Counseling Department! In the elementary grades, we are continuing to focus on problem-solving skills and learning about responsibility, which is our Habit of Character word of the month. Taking responsibility is an important life skill that helps students build independence, confidence, and accountability. Throughout our lessons, students are practicing how to recognize problems without blame, think through possible solutions, and take responsibility for their choices and actions. Students know that they cannot begin to problem-solve until their bodies and minds are relaxed and ready. In our elementary classrooms, we often revisit the three parts of the brain and how they work together. This helps students understand that when big emotions take over, the thinking part of the brain needs time and strategies, like deep breathing, taking a break, or talking to a trusted adult, to settle down before effective problem solving can happen.
Our Let Grow Project pilot in 4th and 5th grade has been going very well. Students have been challenging themselves to try activities that move them out of their comfort zones and into their stretch zones. Many students have been taking on new responsibilities at home and in their communities. Some examples include baking or cooking for their families, going to the market to pick up items on their own, walking dogs, and trying other independent activities.
It has been wonderful to see students build confidence and pride as they take on new challenges. We plan to continue the program and are hopeful that we will be able to extend it into younger grades and middle school in the future, so stay tuned!
We are also excited to share that our comfort dog, Moochie, has been spending time connecting with students and staff. Moochie has been a wonderful addition to our school community, helping create moments of calm, connection, and joy throughout the day. She is quickly becoming quite popular with our students (and staff and parents!), and many look forward to seeing her around the building!
Ideas for building responsibility at home:
You can support your child’s growth in responsibility by giving them opportunities to do things independently. Try encouraging your child to:
• Help cook or prepare a meal
• Take responsibility for a household chore
• Run a small errand with supervision nearby
• Help care for a pet
• Try a new task that feels a little challenging
When children are trusted with real responsibilities, they build confidence, resilience, and important life skills. Encouraging them to step a little outside their comfort zone helps them grow into capable problem-solvers.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to request any additional support for your students, please do not hesitate to reach out!
All the best,
Counselor Marisa
