
PUTNEY CENTRAL SCHOOL
An exceptional PK-8 School located in beautiful southern Vermont






PCS NEWS 5/30/25
Upcoming Dates
June 3 - Putney Palooza! The weather looks great - 5:00 Art show opens, 5:30 grill gets going (free hotdogs, burgers and sides), 6:00 Bands start under the pavilion.
June 5 - Ice Cream Social
June 16 - 8th grade graduation - 6:00 at the pavilion weather permitting
June 17 - Field Day for students in the afternoon
June 18 - Last day for students, 11:45 Dismissal
Staffing Update
I am happy to share that we have minimal staff turnover this year, and that nearly all of our remarkable team of educators are returning. With that said, I have one staffing update to share. We have hired a new part time position of Garden Coordinator, and are excited to welcome Aliana Wilder into the role. Aliana comes with expensive gardening experience, personally and professionally, and will starting working with us this summer and designing (both physically and conceptually) our garden program to bring it back to life!
Summer Camp
Speaking of summer, we are in preparation mode for our upcoming 4 weeks of PCS summer camp! Rosters are full, but we will accept names on waitlists if you missed the sign up deadline. Also, we have just sent out information for rising 7th and 8th graders to serve as counselors in training this summer, under the guidance of Aaron Walsh.
From camp volunteer coordinators:
As many of you have been aware, we are working to integrate our community and our school in new and interesting ways. One of those initiatives involves our summer camp this year. We have created a signup where community members can volunteer to share skills, passions, and/or time with our summer campers. The camps will run through the month of July, and are fully staffed with teachers, but we hope that you will come help our kids learn about something, or just have a really fun experience. Campers will be spending the afternoon at the pool, so the window of opportunity is the morning between 8:30am and noon. You can do an activity for that whole time, or a shorter window. You could also run a shorter activity twice for two different groups of kids.
Community Summer Camp Volunteer List
Volunteer Signup Deadline: June 13
We’re open to all ideas. Often the simplest ideas are the most popular, so don’t be concerned if you are not an expert. We can (probably) provide transportation if you have off campus activities. You can serve any number of students (although 10 kids would be a convenient lower number for camp). You can select the age of kids your activity is appropriate for. We expect it will be possible for volunteers to bring their own kids with them (if they’re not already in camp).
Thank you all so much!
Student Achievements:
Accolades keep rolling in for our PCS students! This week our middle school STEM enrichment class competed in the southern Vermont solar car race, and made it to the semifinals. Thank you to Ms. Corey for facilitating this fun competition and Asa, Josie, Ivy, Finn, April, Kay, Ella and Mateo for representing PCS so well!
Also, this week we receiving notification that two of our students were selected as age range winners in the National Educate the Whole Child Art contest - Brynna Mabry won first place in the PK-2 age group, and Lena Quintal won first place in the 3rd-5th age group. Congrats Brynna and Lena, and thanks to Ms. W for her ongoing work fostering excellence in the art room!
From the Vermont AOE: Summer EBT Benefits are Coming!
Vermont is issuing Summer EBT benefits starting on June 2nd. Most children who are eligible will receive the $120 benefit automatically. Benefits can be used to buy food at grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and online where EBT cards are accepted.
The Vermont Department for Children and Families will send you a letter if your family will get the benefit automatically. If you already have an EBT card, the benefits will be added to that card. If you need a replacement card, you can call 1-888-354-0012 (Option 7). If you think you qualify, but you do not receive a letter by July 7th, please visit https://summerebt.vermont.gov/ to submit a short application.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend,
Jon
















Upcoming Activities, Community Events and More!


Staff Highlight
Emily Corey- MS Science Teacher
I'm from all over the northeast, and consider New England and New York to be home. I was born in Upstate New York, and grew up both there and in southern NH. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of New England in Maine, where I graduated with a Bachelor's in Marine Biology and a minor in Art. After graduating I joined a research team in the Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. Our research used Brachionus manjavacas (a marine zooplankton) to study maternal effects and methods of lifespan extension. During my time there I got to teach volunteers and interns how to run their own experiments in addition to planning and running research for my team. After three years in the lab I decided I wanted to do the teaching part of my job full time, and went off to get my Masters in Teaching at Brown University. I now live back in New Hampshire with my partner Tom, and our lovely tuxedo cat Benny. In my free time I like to explore outside (hiking, swimming, kayaking, biking), draw, play piano, and talk with my friends. I am so happy to be here teaching the subject that I love here at such a great school!


Notes From Nurse Nicole
Dear PCS families,
Happy May! I wanted to send a quick reminder about tick safety.
Here are a few easy things you can do to help protect your child (and yourself!):
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Dress for the outdoors – Light-colored clothing, long sleeves, and pants tucked into socks make it easier to spot and block ticks.
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Use bug spray – A repellent with DEET or picaridin can go a long way in keeping ticks away.
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Do a daily tick check – Look behind ears, around the waist, behind knees, and in hair after kids come in from playing outside.
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Shower after outdoor time – It helps wash off ticks before they attach.
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Pop clothes in the dryer – 10 minutes on high heat can kill any ticks that hitched a ride.
If you ever find a tick and aren't sure what to do, feel free to reach out—I’m happy to help.
Wishing you all a safe and tick free May!
Warmly,
Nurse Nicole
Counselor's Corner
May/June 2025
School Counselor’s Corner
Almost June – Can You Believe It?
As we enter the final stretch of the school year, it's amazing to reflect on how much our students have grown—academically, socially, and emotionally. These last few weeks are a time for celebration, reflection, and preparation for what’s ahead.
Thank You for a Great Screenagers Event!
We had a fantastic turnout at our recent Screenagers event! It was wonderful to engage in meaningful conversations with students and families about screen time, safety, and healthy tech habits. The discussion also touched on important social-emotional topics like emotional regulation, friendship, body image, and problem-solving.
We’ll continue this learning into the final weeks of school—and next year, we look forward to expanding these conversations through our Caregiver Conversation Series.
Throughout May, we’ve been focusing on key SEL skills, including: Emotional regulation, Problem-solving, Friendship and communication, college and career, and Positive body image, to name a few! These skills help build strong, resilient students, and we’ll continue supporting them right up to the last day of school!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and can be a great time to check in on your own well-being and that of your child. Encourage healthy habits like sleep, movement, mindfulness, and asking for help when needed. Small daily actions can make a big impact!
Help your child end the year strong with these simple strategies: Keep a consistent routine, Talk about summer goals or plans, Celebrate progress (big or small!). Check in emotionally—many students have mixed feelings as the year wraps up.
As always, I’m here to support both students and families. If you have concerns, questions, or just want to talk, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s finish the year strong!
Coming Again Next Year: Caregiver Conversation Series
We’re excited to continue family engagement next school year through our Caregiver Conversation Series, focused on screen use, social-emotional health, and supporting kids in today’s world. Stay tuned!
Here's a worthy podcast to listen to as you can- In the What Now? podcast with Trevor Noah, Jonathan Haidt, author of "The Anxious Generation," discusses how smartphones and social media are negatively impacting Gen Z and everyone. He argues that these technologies contribute to a decline in mental health, a loss of real-world experience, and a need to reclaim "third spaces" where young people can connect in non-digital ways.
All the best,
Counselor Marisa
mlazarus@wsesdvt.org, 802-387-5521 ext. 130