🎉 October 2 – National Custodial Workers Recognition Day 🎉
Today is a special day — a chance to shine a spotlight on two incredible members of our school community: Randy Marckres and Orion Dolan!
National Custodial Workers Recognition Day is set aside each year to honor the hardworking individuals who keep our schools, offices, and public spaces clean, safe, and running smoothly. Here at Barton Academy and Graded School, Randy and Orion do all that — and so much more — every single day.
Randy Marckres – Head Custodian
This is Randy’s 17th year at BAGS, and his commitment to our school is nothing short of amazing. Whether he’s keeping the building running like clockwork or lending a hand with a smile, Randy is a vital part of our daily life. He lives in Brownington with his three sons — Cody, Conner, and Avery — and enjoys farming, gardening, hunting, and ocean fishing in his free time.
Orion Dolan – Custodian
Orion is now in his second year with us, and we’re thrilled to have him back! He is a 2024 graduate of Lake Region, and former Barton Tiger. We appreciate his hard working and dedication to keeping our building clean.
Let’s take a moment today to recognize and thank Randy and Orion for their dedication, kindness, and all the behind-the-scenes work that helps make our school a safe, welcoming, and well-cared-for place to learn.
We appreciate you, Randy and Orion!
Today is a special day — a chance to shine a spotlight on two incredible members of our school community: Randy Marckres and Orion Dolan!
National Custodial Workers Recognition Day is set aside each year to honor the hardworking individuals who keep our schools, offices, and public spaces clean, safe, and running smoothly. Here at Barton Academy and Graded School, Randy and Orion do all that — and so much more — every single day.
Randy Marckres – Head Custodian
This is Randy’s 17th year at BAGS, and his commitment to our school is nothing short of amazing. Whether he’s keeping the building running like clockwork or lending a hand with a smile, Randy is a vital part of our daily life. He lives in Brownington with his three sons — Cody, Conner, and Avery — and enjoys farming, gardening, hunting, and ocean fishing in his free time.
Orion Dolan – Custodian
Orion is now in his second year with us, and we’re thrilled to have him back! He is a 2024 graduate of Lake Region, and former Barton Tiger. We appreciate his hard working and dedication to keeping our building clean.
Let’s take a moment today to recognize and thank Randy and Orion for their dedication, kindness, and all the behind-the-scenes work that helps make our school a safe, welcoming, and well-cared-for place to learn.
We appreciate you, Randy and Orion!
This past week, Mrs. Lawrence has started facilitating a movement break in the mornings after breakfast before students transition to their classrooms. They kicked things off with “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” followed by songs like “Aroostasha” and “The Hokey Pokey,” and ended the week with a fun game of Freeze Dance. It’s been a joyful and energizing way to start our day!
On September 23, Grade 4 students participated in a Floating Classroom field trip aboard the Northern Star in Newport. Building on their Grade 3 Youth Discovery Program that our sister schools attended together last spring, this hands-on learning experience focused on watershed health and included activities such as turbidity observation, collecting and identifying benthic invertebrates, and exploring environmental and historical aspects of Lake Memphremagog. The program was presented by the Memphremagog Watershed Association in partnership with several local environmental organizations.
Last reminder to sign up for our October's First Friday Fun at Barton!
Oct. 3rd from Dismissal - 5:00PM
Sign up today by visiting https://forms.gle/Fny3zxaNrSwXkQWi9 or scan the QR code on the flyer.
All students are welcome! 🙂
🌟Colleague Spotlight of the Week🌟
CARRIE SWITSER, Ms. Carrie: Thank you for your flexibility and attentiveness to student needs. Carrie's positive energy is a valuable addition to our school community.
PATTY WELTON, Ms. Patty: With over 24 years of dedication, Patty brings unwavering commitment and care to our Barton school community. Her consistent presence supports our students, and her flexibility in her role is deeply appreciated.
CARRIE SWITSER, Ms. Carrie: Thank you for your flexibility and attentiveness to student needs. Carrie's positive energy is a valuable addition to our school community.
PATTY WELTON, Ms. Patty: With over 24 years of dedication, Patty brings unwavering commitment and care to our Barton school community. Her consistent presence supports our students, and her flexibility in her role is deeply appreciated.
More information to come!
First graders are learning about story sequences and created their own stories to share with their classmates! They highlighted the important beginning, middle, and end events! They practiced speaking in front of a group, and also being good audience members! They gave each other positive feedback, which was almost always a “10-star review”!
The next OCSU PTCA meeting is October 2, 2025 at 6:00pm in the Lake Region cafeteria. Here is a link to the next OCSU PTCA meeting agenda.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TaHfPmDYW45VC887u1Lvtf0IfbUDBYGbkawSmia2Hds/edit?tab=t.0
We hope to see folks there!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TaHfPmDYW45VC887u1Lvtf0IfbUDBYGbkawSmia2Hds/edit?tab=t.0
We hope to see folks there!
All School Board meetings are open to the public and have remote access.
📍LRUHS Board Meeting - Monday, September 29, 2025, 6:00PM
👉 Join in person: Lake Region Union High School
👉 Join by link: meet.google.com/cox-xwdt-kwg
👉Join by phone: (US) +1 316-536-0477 PIN: 460 726 747#
✅Agenda: https://www.ocsu.org/documents/school-boards/2025-2026-school-board-agendas-and-minutes/lake-region-union-high-school-district/09-29-25-lr/854720
👉 Board meeting agendas, past meeting minutes, and recorded meetings can be found at https://www.ocsu.org/documents/school-boards/2025-2026-school-board-agendas-and-minutes/lake-region-union-high-school-district/829040
📍LRUHS Board Meeting - Monday, September 29, 2025, 6:00PM
👉 Join in person: Lake Region Union High School
👉 Join by link: meet.google.com/cox-xwdt-kwg
👉Join by phone: (US) +1 316-536-0477 PIN: 460 726 747#
✅Agenda: https://www.ocsu.org/documents/school-boards/2025-2026-school-board-agendas-and-minutes/lake-region-union-high-school-district/09-29-25-lr/854720
👉 Board meeting agendas, past meeting minutes, and recorded meetings can be found at https://www.ocsu.org/documents/school-boards/2025-2026-school-board-agendas-and-minutes/lake-region-union-high-school-district/829040
October's First Friday Fun at Barton!
Oct. 3rd from Dismissal - 5:00PM
Sign up today by visiting https://forms.gle/Fny3zxaNrSwXkQWi9 or scan the QR code on the flyer.
All students are welcome! 🙂
Oct. 3rd from Dismissal - 5:00PM
Sign up today by visiting https://forms.gle/Fny3zxaNrSwXkQWi9 or scan the QR code on the flyer.
All students are welcome! 🙂
Kindergarten students explore engineering concepts as they design, build, and test marble runs in the classroom!
Lake Region’s student council, in conjunction with OCSU’s parent groups, are working to host a fall student event, and we’re looking for your help! On Saturday, October 25th, we’re looking for people to host a “trick-or-treating table” in the LR gym. Please check the link below for more information or to sign up.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyq7m1qoQ2zAih4zfa9M_JzihWrxS7XnBHmHRH3sM8UHXFlA/viewform?usp=dialog
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyq7m1qoQ2zAih4zfa9M_JzihWrxS7XnBHmHRH3sM8UHXFlA/viewform?usp=dialog
🐯PBIS Celebration🐯
We’re excited to share that our students have completed the Tiger Trail and earned their first whole-school celebration! To celebrate this achievement, we’ll be heading to the Kingdom Corn Maze in Sutton on Thursday, September 25.
This milestone is rooted in our school-wide focus on the CUBS Core Values — Caring, Understanding, Brave, and Safe. Students earn Tiger Tokens when they demonstrate these values through positive behavior. Tokens are collected in class jars, and once full, students enjoy a class celebration — like a pajama or stuffie party or extra recess!
Each time a class fills their jar, they add a tiger paw to our school-wide trail. We now have 15 paws, representing over 1,500 moments of students being recognized for making positive choices.
This celebration is more than just a fun trip — it’s a powerful reminder of the impact of positive reinforcement and the supportive culture we’re building together.
Thank you for your continued encouragement at home — it makes a big difference!
We’re excited to share that our students have completed the Tiger Trail and earned their first whole-school celebration! To celebrate this achievement, we’ll be heading to the Kingdom Corn Maze in Sutton on Thursday, September 25.
This milestone is rooted in our school-wide focus on the CUBS Core Values — Caring, Understanding, Brave, and Safe. Students earn Tiger Tokens when they demonstrate these values through positive behavior. Tokens are collected in class jars, and once full, students enjoy a class celebration — like a pajama or stuffie party or extra recess!
Each time a class fills their jar, they add a tiger paw to our school-wide trail. We now have 15 paws, representing over 1,500 moments of students being recognized for making positive choices.
This celebration is more than just a fun trip — it’s a powerful reminder of the impact of positive reinforcement and the supportive culture we’re building together.
Thank you for your continued encouragement at home — it makes a big difference!
A message from the Drought Task Force:
As many towns are aware, Vermont is currently experiencing widespread drought conditions and as a result VEM Director Forand has activated the State EOC to enhanced operations and a multi-agency Drought Task Force has been established to help provide coordination and support. The Agency of Natural Resources has created a drought resources https://anr.vermont.gov/disaster/drought which provides information about conditions, water haulers, and a place to share impacts to individuals, water systems, and agricultural businesses. We are encouraging the reporting of any issues so that the state has situational awareness of impacts.
The National Weather Services is not forecasting any significant rainfall in the short term so conditions are expected to persist at least into next week. There is some indication that we may see some rainfall in the middle of next week but probably not enough to make any significant dent in the overall drought. On top of drought conditions, we continue to deal with high wildfire danger. Those conditions will also likely persist until we get some soaking rainfall. You can find information on wildfire conditions here: https://fpr.vermont.gov/forest/wildland-fire/monitoring-fire-danger.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. If you need emergency assistance, our Watch Officer can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-347-0488. Just as a side note, that number goes to a VSP answering point after business hours and they may answer as the Hazmat Line, or Spill Line, just let them know you’re calling for the watch officer.
Zachary Borst | Regional Coordinator – Orleans, Essex, Caledonia
Vermont Emergency Management
As many towns are aware, Vermont is currently experiencing widespread drought conditions and as a result VEM Director Forand has activated the State EOC to enhanced operations and a multi-agency Drought Task Force has been established to help provide coordination and support. The Agency of Natural Resources has created a drought resources https://anr.vermont.gov/disaster/drought which provides information about conditions, water haulers, and a place to share impacts to individuals, water systems, and agricultural businesses. We are encouraging the reporting of any issues so that the state has situational awareness of impacts.
The National Weather Services is not forecasting any significant rainfall in the short term so conditions are expected to persist at least into next week. There is some indication that we may see some rainfall in the middle of next week but probably not enough to make any significant dent in the overall drought. On top of drought conditions, we continue to deal with high wildfire danger. Those conditions will also likely persist until we get some soaking rainfall. You can find information on wildfire conditions here: https://fpr.vermont.gov/forest/wildland-fire/monitoring-fire-danger.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. If you need emergency assistance, our Watch Officer can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-347-0488. Just as a side note, that number goes to a VSP answering point after business hours and they may answer as the Hazmat Line, or Spill Line, just let them know you’re calling for the watch officer.
Zachary Borst | Regional Coordinator – Orleans, Essex, Caledonia
Vermont Emergency Management
🌟Colleague Spotlight of the Week🌟
Shout out to Roberta and Sierra! This week, we want to take a moment to recognize and thank two of our dedicated paraprofessionals, Mrs. M and Mrs. Sierra. Their ongoing commitment, care, and support for our students does not go unnoticed. We are especially grateful for their flexibility and responsiveness in meeting the diverse needs of our learners.
Shout out to Roberta and Sierra! This week, we want to take a moment to recognize and thank two of our dedicated paraprofessionals, Mrs. M and Mrs. Sierra. Their ongoing commitment, care, and support for our students does not go unnoticed. We are especially grateful for their flexibility and responsiveness in meeting the diverse needs of our learners.
Huge thank you to All Things Asphalt for their work this afternoon patching our parking lot!
All School Board meetings are open to the public and have remote access.
📍LRUEMSD Board Meeting - Monday, September 22, 2025, 6:00PM
👉 Join in person: Barton Graded School
👉 Join by link: meet.google.com/idv-vpef-tca
👉Join by phone: (US) +1 417-319-7143 PIN: 489 293 710#
✅Agenda: https://www.ocsu.org/documents/school-boards/2025-2026-school-board-agendas-and-minutes/lake-region-union-elementary-middle-school-district/
👉 Board meeting agendas, past meeting minutes, and recorded meetings can be found at https://www.ocsu.org/documents/school-boards/2025-2026-school-board-agendas-and-minutes/lake-region-union-elementary-middle-school-district/829043
The next OCSU PTCA meeting is September 16, 2025, 6pm, in the Lake Region UHS cafeteria. A link to the agenda is below. We hope to see everyone there!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qVDBUneDoh1pXWexcVkX-oQ-M2wkFVBld-A4-h6w57g/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qVDBUneDoh1pXWexcVkX-oQ-M2wkFVBld-A4-h6w57g/edit?usp=sharing
🌟Colleague Spotlight of the Week🌟
BRANDON BLUNK, Mr. B: Mr. B lends a helping hand when needed. His leadership has been instrumental in several key areas—serving as Principal Designee, co-facilitating our PBIS committee, and contributing as a member of both the Behavior Threat Assessment Team and the Student Support Team.
In addition, he teaches two weekly guidance classes, proactively engaging students in important conversations that support their growth and well-being.
His dedication and positive impact have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for your commitment to our students and staff. We look forward to continuing to build consistency and momentum in your role!
BRANDON BLUNK, Mr. B: Mr. B lends a helping hand when needed. His leadership has been instrumental in several key areas—serving as Principal Designee, co-facilitating our PBIS committee, and contributing as a member of both the Behavior Threat Assessment Team and the Student Support Team.
In addition, he teaches two weekly guidance classes, proactively engaging students in important conversations that support their growth and well-being.
His dedication and positive impact have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for your commitment to our students and staff. We look forward to continuing to build consistency and momentum in your role!
It's so fun when our oldest and youngest students get to come together! Our 4th graders visited Kindergarten in PE to help them build "cars" and play games in the gym with Mr. Jacobs!
