First Branch Unified District

Weekend News

August, 28th, 2026

"Friends of First Branch" honors faculty and staff for years of service!

Upcoming Events:

8/31: First Day of School

Tunbridge Campus Opens at 7:15 am

Chelsea Campus Opens at 7:30 am

Dismissal:3:00 pm

9/4: Early Release Day

Dismissal 12:00 pm (No School for Prek Students)

9/7: Labor Day, No School

9/9: Open House, Tunbridge Campus

9/17: K-8th Tunbridge Fair Field Trip

Google Form Field Trip Permission Slip!.

9/18: Early Release Day

Dismissal 12:00 pm (No School for Prek Students)

9/22-9/25: Health Hub Dental Van

9/23: Open House, Chelsea Campus

9/23: Flu Shots at Chelsea and Tunbridge Campus

10/13: Tunbridge Campus Picture Day

10/14: Chelsea Campus Picture Day

10/16: Twilight Campfire at Tunbridge Campus 5:00 pm-7:30 pm

11/3: Picture Retakes Day

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM ENROLLMENT INFO FOR TUNBRIDGE & CHELSEA, CAMPUS

SESSION I (Sept 1 – November 24)

Our afterschool program will operate from 3:00 PM to 5:15 PM every day. Please plan to pick up your child by 5:15 PM each afternoon. Additional information is available at the link below. Students must register ahead of time to access the program.

LINK:

Registration Info for One Planet

First Branch Fall Sports:

Grades 3rd-8th: Click Here!

Grades K-2nd. Click Here!

We Are Here to Help!

Our main offices are the best place to start!

Tunbridge: 802-889-3310

JASMYN Sprague, Admin Assistant

Chelsea: 802-685-4551

JAZLYN Locarno, Admin Assistant

Dear First Branch,

We are excited to welcome new and returning students for the 2026-2027 school year! It was wonderful to see families at our campus events this week! Please make sure your student is registered or reregistered in ALMA.

Our bus schedule is posted below! We are excited to have Ms. Rosie, Mr. Jeremy, and Ms. Kristen as our drivers this year!

Each year we offer a Backpack Program in partnership with Tunbridge and Chelsea Food Shelf. Please let us know if you need a printed copy of this. We are happy to connect and send it home the first week of school.

Finally, we are excited to share we have a refreshed Chelsea Mascot! Meet our new Red Devil of Chelsea Campus!

REMINDERS:

Tunbridge Campus opens at 7:15 am.

Crosstown Buses depart at 7:40 am.

Chelsea Campus opens at 7:30 am.

First Branch Chelsea Middle School (LINK)

First Branch Tunbridge Elementary (LINK)

2. Household Income Form: Please complete this form. Completing this online gives you more privacy. This also helps us secure additional funding for our school. Every entry helps! More info below!

Be Well,

Janet Cash & Dan Rivers

Co-Principals, First Branch

26-27 BUS ROUTES:

Chelsea Bus 1 Routes

Tunbridge Bus 1 Route

Tunbridge Bus 2 Route

Bus Video with Mrs. Cash & Ms. Rosie!

🚌 Bus Safety Reminders

Be outside 10 minutes before your scheduled stop. This helps keep routes running on time.

Follow the bus driver’s directions. The driver will give directions for safely boarding, riding, and exiting the bus.

Parents & parking: Please do not park in a way that blocks the bus stop or prevents the bus from safely loading or unloading students.
Missed your stop? If you miss the bus, do not try to catch up to the next stop. Contact the school so we can help.

Stay in your seat while the bus is moving.

Keep the aisle clear. Backpacks and belongings should stay with you and out of the aisle.

No eating on the bus. This helps keep the bus clean and reduces safety concerns.
Listen to the bus driver. Following directions helps everyone get to school and home safely.

🚌 Safe riding starts before you even get on the bus!

Active Family & Community Engagement

💙 Celebrating Our First Branch Team! 💙

This week, the Friends of First Branch celebrated and honored our faculty and staff with special longevity gifts! Every faculty and staff member received a cozy winter hat, and we also celebrated team members based on their years of service.

A very special congratulations to:

🎉 Ms. Penny — 35 years of service!

🎉 Ms. Lily — 36 years of service!

The experience, dedication, and relationships that come with returning faculty and staff are something we all value deeply. We are incredibly grateful for the people who continue to show up for our students, families, and community year after year. ❤️

And a HUGE thank you to the Friends of First Branch! Your generosity and support make so many wonderful things possible for our school community. We truly couldn’t do what we do without you!

Academic Proficiency

HOPVEVILLE: How to Win the Reading Wars

🎬 Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars 📚

This week, all WRVSU faculty and staff had the opportunity to preview Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars during in-service.

First Branch was excited to be the first community to host a public screening, bringing families, educators, and community members together Thursday evening for a community dinner and film.

The focus of the film is on evidence-based reading instruction for all learners. The film is powerful because it follows students and their teachers throughout an entire school year, giving viewers an authentic look at the impact of how we teach children to read.

📖 We encourage everyone to see this film! Whether you are an educator, parent, grandparent, caregiver, or simply someone who cares about kids and their futures, this is an important conversation.

There is still time to catch a screening before the film moves on! 🎥🍿

Chelsea Campus (5th-8th Grade)

Reminders:

Staggered Start Announcement (from 8/11).

2026-2027 Device Permission Form FBUD

5th-8th Personal Devices (i.e cell phones, smartwatches, or any device with two-way communication). Personal devices are not permitted at Tunbridge Campus, grades K-4. All 5th-8th graders must keep them stored away during their travel time.

First Branch Middle School will provide curriculum workbooks as well as a student planner. If you are unable to purchase school supplies, please contact Mindy Farnham (mfarnham@wrvsu.org) and/or Ashley Rich (arich@wrvsu.org).

Our Preschool Friends have SO much to look forward to!

Check out some of the new features in our play area! We can’t wait to hop, jump, skip, climb, and slide with you!

The countdown is on—we’re ready for some serious preschool fun!

Health HUB:

First Branch Virtual Backpack:

2026-2027 First Branch Unified District Student/Family Handbook

2026-2027 Device Permission Form FBUD

Staggered Start (Chelsea 5th-8th Grade 8/11)

Bus Routes (Not Linked Yet)

First Branch Guide of Support

School Calendar

ALMA Registration Guide to Register

(New & Returning Students)

Link to Letter

2026-2027 Household Income Form:

Click Here for Direct Link

Help us provide the best education possible for your children by completing the 2026–2027 Household Income Form. It only takes a few minutes, but it makes a big difference for your students, your school, and your community.

Your completed form helps our school qualify for important federal and state education funding that supports:

Reading

Math

Science

Arts

Physical Education

Afterschool programs

Your household financial information is protected by law. The information you submit through the secure electronic form is sent directly to the Vermont Agency of Education's data team and securely returned to your child's school.

Complete the form and you'll be entered into a raffle to win a Family Pack of Unlimited Ride Wristbands for the Tunbridge Fair!

To Enter the Raffle:

Complete the online Household Income Form.
Email Mrs. Cash at jcash@wrvsu.org to let her know you've submitted it.

Please do not send Mrs. Cash a copy of your form. Your Household Income Form is private, and she only needs your email to enter you into the raffle.

***Paper forms will also be available in each school's main office and can be securely submitted through the SU office.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to support our students, schools, and community!

Tunbridge Fair Permission Slip:

Agricultural Education Day K-8th Grade

Link to Google Form Here

Community Events & Opportunities:

School Menus: