🎶 March is National Music In Our Schools Month! 🎶
At Barton, we’re turning up the excitement with March Music Madness! 🎤🎵
All month long, students are listening, singing, and voting for their favorite songs from our fantastic music curriculum, Musicplayonline.com. It’s been so much fun seeing their enthusiasm as they cheer on their top picks and as the recognize songs from the grade they were in last year!
Be sure to ask your child about their favorite songs from music class—I bet they’ll be happy to give you a mini concert at home! 🎶✨
March Madness is coming to our classroom… Oreo style! 🍪🏀
Our students have selected their favorite Oreo flavors, and we will be hosting a fun “March Madness Oreo Tournament” beginning March 10th. Each day, two flavors will compete head-to-head, and students will cast their votes to select their favorite. As the month goes on, the competition will narrow down until we crown the final superior cookie at the end of March! Students will collect and analyze data, create graphs, compare fractions, and interpret results as the tournament progresses. It’s a fun (and delicious!) way to apply real-world math skills.
Our students have selected their favorite Oreo flavors, and we will be hosting a fun “March Madness Oreo Tournament” beginning March 10th. Each day, two flavors will compete head-to-head, and students will cast their votes to select their favorite. As the month goes on, the competition will narrow down until we crown the final superior cookie at the end of March! Students will collect and analyze data, create graphs, compare fractions, and interpret results as the tournament progresses. It’s a fun (and delicious!) way to apply real-world math skills.
First grade is getting “magical” with the magic e! Students are using letter tiles to see exactly how the silent e can change a whole word. It’s cool watching those short vowels turn into long ones right on their desks!
4th graders at Barton have been working on their "Recorder Monster" unit. They are tackling note and rhythm reading and enjoying a pre-band experience, playing both as small groups and as a whole class.
Our "Recorder Monster" curriculum is aligned with National Core Arts Standards and is fun and motivating for students. Throughout our recorder unit, students will earn "monster cards" for each song they master. The students are looking forward to collecting them all, but for now, we've all earned "Dixie" for mastering "Hot Cross Buns!"
Our "Recorder Monster" curriculum is aligned with National Core Arts Standards and is fun and motivating for students. Throughout our recorder unit, students will earn "monster cards" for each song they master. The students are looking forward to collecting them all, but for now, we've all earned "Dixie" for mastering "Hot Cross Buns!"
Fenton Chester Arena in Lyndonville graciously welcomed our students and staff this season as part of our winter activity programming. Over the course of a six-week program, more than 50 students and staff members took to the ice to develop and strengthen their skating skills. The experience provided a fun and supportive environment for participants to build confidence, stay active during the winter months, and enjoy one of Vermont’s favorite cold-weather activities. The consistent practice and encouragement from staff helped students make tremendous progress throughout the program, making it a memorable and rewarding experience for all involved.
Our students have been eagerly following the progress of their adopted mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and the excitement continues to build! Currently, four of our students have mushers racing in the top 10, with the closest competitor sitting in 4th place. Students have been checking standings, learning about strategy, and cheering on their teams each day.
So far, most mushers have traveled around 425 miles, while others are close behind at about 352 miles. Even with those impressive distances already behind them, the race is far from over—nearly two-thirds of the challenging journey still remains. The trail ahead will test both mushers and their dogs as they continue across Alaska’s rugged terrain, facing long distances, changing weather, and very little sleep.
Our students are enjoying tracking the race in real time and learning just how much determination, teamwork, and endurance it takes to complete one of the world’s most famous sled dog races. They’ll be watching closely to see how their mushers move up the leaderboard in the days ahead! 🐕❄️🏁
So far, most mushers have traveled around 425 miles, while others are close behind at about 352 miles. Even with those impressive distances already behind them, the race is far from over—nearly two-thirds of the challenging journey still remains. The trail ahead will test both mushers and their dogs as they continue across Alaska’s rugged terrain, facing long distances, changing weather, and very little sleep.
Our students are enjoying tracking the race in real time and learning just how much determination, teamwork, and endurance it takes to complete one of the world’s most famous sled dog races. They’ll be watching closely to see how their mushers move up the leaderboard in the days ahead! 🐕❄️🏁
On March 5, students in grades 2–4 visited Siskin-Coutts for an action-packed day of winter fun! They enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities, including cross-country skiing, a snowshoe hike, wildlife tracking, fire building, and sledding. Indoors, students tested their skills in the gym with basketball, mini-trampolines, and the rock wall. Some adventurous 4th graders also had the chance to try out fat-tire biking!
There are so many cute pets it's hard to choose who to vote for! Voting closes at 8:30am on 3/20!
The Comfort Inn & Suites welcomed our students and staff this winter as part of our winter activity programming. Each week, up to ten students had the opportunity to participate in supervised swim time at the facility. With personal flotation devices required and staff present for direct supervision, students were able to safely enjoy time in the water while staying active during the winter months.
Our first graders are proving that reading isn’t just for humans! 🐻📚 Today, they cozied up with their favorite stuffed friends and shared stories together. Judging by the attentive paws and ears, we think their audiences are hooked! 🐾✨
The Vermont Principals' Association offers students in grades 1–8 the opportunity to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, with competitions beginning at the school level and the potential to advance all the way to the national stage.
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/
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/
3rd & 4th grade spent some time in the Makerspace competing in a penny challenge to see who could build the best boat to hold the most penny’s before it sunk!
The next OCSU PTCA meeting is March 12, 2026 at 5pm at Lake Region. A link to the agenda is below. We hope to see everyone there!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NZjKXy5FtwTs0dsVY3L14ky0g9T4LLiPjFRMbKZg23U/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NZjKXy5FtwTs0dsVY3L14ky0g9T4LLiPjFRMbKZg23U/edit?usp=sharing
🐾 Learning About the Iditarod! 🐾
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! 🐕❄️
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! 🐕❄️
3rd grade students in Ms. Stevens class had to estimate objects in the room that they thought were close to 10 grams, 100 grams, 1000 grams or one kilogram. Then they had to weigh the items using the scale (and read the scale). This has led them to thinking about how many 10s are in 100 and 1000 (10x100=1000) etc, as well as thinking about place value and addition and subtraction strategies within 1000. Students are also learning about which units they would use to measure different things.
⭐Colleague of the Week⭐
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.
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.
Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosted 40 students and staff this season as part of our Winter Activity Programming. Providing opportunities for students to engage with local outdoor recreation facilities is an important component of our commitment to student wellness and experiential learning. Experiences like this allow our young learners to enjoy Vermont’s winter landscape while building lifelong skills and appreciation for physical activity in the outdoors. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with local organizations that help make meaningful, active experiences possible for our students.
Kindergarten celebrated 100 days of school by counting, measuring and weighing 100 things!
Ms. Chaffee's 1st grade class made their very own books in February about their favorite animals. They spent time writing, illustrating and binding their books.
A reminder that the rescheduled OCSU winter party is March 7, 2026, at Lake Region High School from 1-3pm. Please see the flyer for more information. We hope to see everyone there!
