Barton Graded School is proud to announce our school champion, 3rd grader Ben Royer, who will represent BGS at the Vermont State Spelling Bee this afternoon from 3:00–6:00 PM at Norwich University.
We wish Ben the best of luck as he competes against other top student spellers from across Vermont! 🐝
If you'd like to watch, the Bee can be viewed here: https://www.wcax.com/livestream/vermont-scenes/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NZjKXy5FtwTs0dsVY3L14ky0g9T4LLiPjFRMbKZg23U/edit?usp=sharing
3rd grade students in Ms. Steven's class recently began learning about the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska, when an outbreak of diphtheria threatened the town. With no planes able to reach Nome due to harsh winter conditions, the life-saving serum had to be delivered by a dog sled relay. Along the way, students discovered the incredible story of famous sled dogs Togo and Balto and the brave mushers who faced extreme weather to deliver the medicine.
Students also learned that the Iditarod Trail existed long before the serum run, originally serving as a route during the gold rush for people traveling and transporting goods across Alaska. Today, the race continues as a way to preserve the culture and history of Alaska.
Each student has selected a musher to follow during this year’s race. Throughout the week, we’ll track their progress, see what place they are in, and find out which checkpoints they reach along the trail. Students have also been learning about the training, dedication, and costs involved in preparing for the Iditarod and caring for the sled dogs.
We’re excited to continue following the race and cheering on our mushers! 🐕❄️
Cathy, our Social Emotional Learning Specialist, provides invaluable support to both students and staff each day. She facilitates lunch groups and targeted small-group and individual sessions to build students’ social skills and responds promptly when classroom support is needed.
She is deeply thoughtful and consistently centers the needs of our students in her work. Cathy also serves on our PBIS committee, helping us strengthen and sustain our school-wide PBIS practices and positive school climate.
Cathy brings years of experience and a special education background to our team, enriching our collective capacity to meet diverse learner needs. Thank you, Cathy, for everything you do for our students and staff—we greatly value you as a team member.
Welcome Scott Whittemore! Over the break, Scott began his long-term custodial substitute role at Barton and will be covering for Randy. We’re excited to have him on board—welcome to the team, Scott!
The Lake Region Union Elementary Middle School Board would like to make a few announcements.
ANNUAL MEETINGS: The LRUEMSD Annual School Board Meeting will be on March 9th at Lake Region High School at 6 PM. You can grab a school report at your Town Clerk’s office, town library or on Town Meeting Day for more details. A big change this year has been our move to a sister-school model, and the feedback so far on that change has been mostly positive.
The Lake Region Union High School Annual School Board Meeting will be March 18, also at 6 PM at the high school.
SEATS: The Elementary-Middle School Board has eight elementary-middle school seats that will be up for election on March 9th, so if you or anyone that you know might be interested in joining a school board, there are opportunities available. Four of those seats have incumbents still willing to serve, but we've got vacant seats that need to be filled in Albany, Barton, Orleans and Westmore.
If you might be interested in running, come on out to the March 9th meeting - or if you can't make it, you can also try asking someone else to go and nominate you. Serving on this board is a time commitment of approximately two Monday evenings a month, either in-person or virtually, plus homework time and any meetings for committees that you join. If you're considering this and have questions about what it's like, current board members would be happy to chat with you!
PUBLIC MEETINGS: We’d also like to flag up a couple of big decisions that could come before the voters in the next year.
As our school buildings continue to age, we've been talking about going to the voters for a bond vote to finance building a new elementary-middle school building on the Lake Region High School property. You can read more about this in the Long Term Planning Committee report inside your town report! We'll be scheduling meetings to share information and get your feedback soon, so keep your eyes out for those.
We're also exploring merging the high school and elementary-middle school boards into a single board, with a single budget and single annual meeting. This is a decision that can only be made by voters. We'll also be having public forums to get input on this idea in the coming months.
ACT 73: There are also conversations happening in Montpelier about redistricting on a state-wide level, which could really shape the future of our schools. We're doing our best as a board to respond proactively to Act 73. However, like there was with Act 46, there's going to be a lot that we can't control at this level. So if you're interested in education in Vermont, keep following Act 73 and sharing your thoughts with our representatives in Montpelier.
BRYANNE MARQUIS, Ms. Bry: Bryanne is our administrative assistant at Barton Graded School, and it would be easy to give her a shout-out every single week. She plays an integral role in the countless details that keep our school running smoothly.
Recently, Mrs. Bry assembled 327 carnations—each with a special note—for students and staff as part of our Valentine’s Day fundraiser. She coordinates the many moving pieces of field trips and winter activities and is currently organizing an upcoming trip to Siskin-Coutts for our students.
Bry is often the friendly face who greets you at the door or the welcoming voice you hear on the phone. She is organized, kind, and deeply committed to our OCSU community. In addition, she manages our website and Facebook page, making a genuine effort to highlight and share the great things happening in our school and broader community.
Thank you, Mrs. Bry, for all that you do for Barton Graded School and the entire OCSU community. We are grateful for you!
The application for school choice for the 2026-2027 school year will go live on February 20, 2026; Please review policy and guidelines before filling out application: /o/ocsu/page/school-choice
Last week, we celebrated Megan Stevens, our amazing third grade classroom teacher! Megan joined our team this school year and has already made a strong impression through her dedication to students and her commitment to continuous growth. Now in her eighth year of teaching, Megan brings a strong foundation from her background in special education. She thoughtfully incorporates project-based and collaborative learning opportunities that truly benefit all learners. Megan is also deeply invested in professional learning—participating recently in the All Learners Network training, “Subtraction for All Learners,” and the VTHEC training “Collaborating for Inclusion: Shared Expertise, Shared Responsibility.” Her enthusiasm for learning, reflection, and collaboration makes her a wonderful addition to our school community. We’re so glad to have you on the team, Megan!
