BPS Comfort Ship
Welcome Students and Families!
We want to provide some resources on social emotional learning. This is a great place for parents and students to find information, videos, activities, and more.
Flood Resources
Brookside Community,
We hope you are doing well in spite of yet another flood in our community. We know that parts of our community were impacted more than others. We are thinking of you and here to help if needed. Please reach out if you need help and we will try to get you connected with what you need. Here are two resources that you may find helpful.
2024 Waterbury Community Flood Response Resources
Managing the Emotional Consequences of Storms and Flooding
See you soon,
Chris, Sarah, and the entire BPS Staff
Wow, can you believe that summer is already here. It was a wonderful school year and we look forward to seeing everyone upon returning in August. From the Counseling office; we hope your summer is full of laughter, rest and self-care.
In partnership,
Ms. M & Ms. B
Mental Health Resources this Summer
In case of an emergency please dial 9-1-1
Washington County Mental Health Crisis Number 802-229-0591
Dial 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988lifeline.org
Vermont Suicide Prevention Center: https://www.vtspc.org
Facing Suicide VT: www.facingsuicidevt.org
Supporting Men in VT: www.mantherapy.org
Outright VT: https://www.outrightvt.org
The Trevor Project - LGBTQ+ Youth: www.thetrevorproject.org
The Jed Foundation - teens/college/young adults: https://www.jedfoundation.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://www.afsp.org
Veterans Suicide Prevention (including live chat line): https://www.va.gov
Suicide Prevention Resource Center - https://sprc.org
National Alliance on Mental Illness VT - https://namivt.org
Summer Resources
Veggie Van Go Mobile Food Pantry
Family Resources for Social Emotional Learning
2024 Free Summer Meals - Vermont
In partnership with Hunger Free Vermont, there will be FREE seven-day meal boxes distributed in our area this summer!
All meals are federally funded and:
First come, first served and meal kits will be available to pick up rain or shine
People accessing the meals do not need to reside in the area of distribution
These meal kits are not intended for students already receiving their free meals in summer school or summer camps
Meals are available to children 18 and under. Parents can pick up without the children present, and there is no registration required.
Boxes Contain: The equivalent of seven breakfasts and seven lunches. The meals are made up of proteins, grains, vegetables, fruits, and milk. Items like cereal, muffins, bagels, wraps, deli meats and cheese, nut butter, whole cucumbers, baby carrots, apples, raisins, and cantaloupe. Each box contains a gallon of milk.
*Please note that these free meal kits are not only for families in need, and you won’t be taking away a meal from someone in need. By picking up the meals, you will be supporting your community.
Federal funding is based on participation, so the more people that take the free meals, the stronger we can be for those who need us the most.
Locations/Dates:
Brookside Primary School
47 Stowe Street, Waterbury
Tuesdays from June 25-August 13
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Waitsfield Elementary School
3951 Main Street, Waitsfield
Thursdays from June 27-August 15 (no distribution on July 4)
1-2 p.m.
Please take advantage of this opportunity for free summer meals!
Summer Meals for Students:
For information on receiving meals in the summer, households can call 2-1-1, the United Way-run resource hotline, or go to the USDA Meals for Kids Site Finder. All sites listed are open to all children, 18 and under. Information is available mid-June and any necessary changes are made on a weekly basis.
Summer Activities
Happy Pride Month
The month of June is celebrated as Pride Month, when LGBTQ+ communities and allies come together and celebrate the freedom to be their true selves. Pride is celebrated to honor minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are. Want to learn more about Pride, please reference the links and books below.
Pride is Nearly Here: New LGBTQ+ Picture Books
The Educator's Guide to LGBTQ Pride
10 Ways to Celebrate Pride Month With Your Kids
My Kid is Gay - Helping families understand their LGBTQ kids
How to Explain Pride Month to Your Child
Books
Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
We are Different, We are the Same by Kates Bobbi
When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
Families Families Families by Suzanne Lang
Love Makes a Family by Sophi Beer
Juneteenth
June 19th marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas and Louisiana finally were told they had been emancipated, two months after the end of the Civil War. June 19, effectively became the day of emancipation for hundreds of thousands of African-Americans. It was officially proclaimed a national holiday in 2021.
Resources for continued learning:
Below are resources shared from State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity:
These two articles about how not to misappropriate Juneteenth when observing it
These two social posts that reminds us that shiny objects are not enough
This collection of further reading about Juneteenth (we’re also attaching it to this e-mail in case you hit a paywall)
These two incredibly moving poems by the great Clint Smith, from his collection Counting Descent
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
More than 1 out of every 5 students report being bullied. National Bullying Prevention Month (NBPM) is a campaign founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The campaign is held during the month of October and connects communities around the world to help prevent bullying. The past few years, a worldwide pandemic and a growing movement for racial equity and social justice have highlighted the need to unite communities for a better future. It is more important than ever to join together in creating a world that is kinder, more accepting, and more inclusive. Take action at school, at home, in your neighborhood, at a local business, or in your workplace to show that you care about kids being safe at school, online, and in the community. (Pacer.org)
Bullying should NEVER be tolerated. If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are things you can do to keep yourself and others safe from bullying. Check out the resources below:
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