CVSD Update

Hello CVSD Families and Caregivers,

What amazing weather we have had over the last week and it is expected this weekend as well. I hope that you and your loved ones can get outside and explore Vermont or support the many Fall CVU sports that begin their playoffs this weekend.

We are hosting our final Strategic Plan Community Forum on Thursday night, October 27, 6:00 at CVU. CVSD is now five years post-consolidation from when our four PreK-8 school districts and CVU had separate school boards and districts. Our board and administration strive to create a coherent, shared vision for our teaching, learning, leading, budgeting, and safety planning. To do this, we need your expertise and support of school employees, families, caregivers, students, business owners, and other community members to determine what the district does well, could improve, or needs to stop. Additionally, we need to know what path our community believes we should take over the next five to seven years. Finally, we want people to dream big. If you can’t make tonight’s meeting, please take the time to complete our strategic plan survey. bit.ly/CVSDOct22. It takes about 8 minutes to complete and will be available through October 31.

With our community forums, neighborhood visits, selectboard communications, and the survey coming to a close, here are the next steps for the strategic planning process. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee will distill the information received from the above items, write actionable goal statements, develop clear objectives for each goal, and organize tasks under each objective. We will share this information on the Strategic Planning page of the website and will ask for feedback.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and we would like to provide some available resources for our families to discuss our country’s and our state’s history. First, from the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, here is a set of reading, listening, and viewing resources regarding Native American history. Secondly, here is a resource from the Vermont Agency of Education and PBS. There are lessons throughout the page that include Native American, and specifically Abenaki, history and culture. Finally, here is a resource from the Place-Based Landscape Analysis and Community Engagement.

Thank you so much for supporting our schools, faculty, and staff. I look forward to sharing more information about the strategic planning process soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

Rene Sanchez, Superintendent

Champlain Valley School District

Identity is developing a sense of one’s self with respect for the uniqueness of others.

Connection exists when all individuals see themselves in others and in their environment. It is the feeling that our individual and collective story is known. We learn and appreciate new perspectives. Connection is committing to the time and effort to build shared experiences and understandings.

All learners find direction by discovering purpose and exploring passions or interests. We honor where learners are and support their growth, helping them navigate pathways and empowering them to reach their fullest potential.

Proficiency: All students and staff members demonstrate progress and develop capacity toward CVSD student and educator learning targets.

At one time or another, most of us have used our phone’s GPS system for directions. We enter a specific destination, we wait for our phone to offer us some possible routes, and off we go.

In a similar fashion CVSD has established specific destinations for all middle school students across the district. These destinations are referred to as learning targets and are common across all of our middle schools. These learning targets have been created and vetted by teachers across the district in order to provide some commonality and shared skills for all of our students.

Over the course of the year, teachers and students work together to try and reach these specific destinations through the use of the rich content of their class. For instance, a humanities class may focus on the evidence learning target (I can find credible evidence that supports my purpose) while studying the role of government in society. The learning target is the destination and then the study of government is the vehicle which we would use to practice this skill (finding evidence). In a science class the students might be working on the developing models learning target (I can develop a model to clearly show how all components work together to explain a phenomenon) while studying photosynthesis and respiration.

Once the destination has been set, the teacher acts like the GPS system. Teachers figure out where all students are starting from and then help guide each student to the destination (or even beyond). As we have all encountered, some routes get messy - we get lost, we encounter traffic jams, or our car even breaks down - this is where a teacher’s knowledge of students comes in to play and where differentiation occurs. The teacher works to guide all students to these destinations - taking as many routes as necessary.

Whether trying to find directions to a restaurant or trying to teach kids how to critically read - the more clearly we can articulate these destinations for students, the better chance they have to reach them.

Here are the destinations (learning targets) that have been set for all 5th - 8th graders in CVSD.

5th and 6th Grade

7th and 8th Grade

In addition, you can view information about K-4 standards and grades 9-12 courses on the Learning Targets page of our website.

Earlier this month, The Agency of Education (AOE) announced that it has selected Cognia as Vermont’s new Statewide Assessment vendor. Cognia will develop and implement new statewide assessments for English Language Arts (ELA), Math, and Science, beginning in the spring of 2023. The tests developed by Cognia will replace the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) and the Vermont Science Assessment (VTSA). We'll provide additional information as we learn more ourselves.

Last year, students at HCS wrote a petition to the CVSD board to raise the LGBTQIA+ flag in our schools, and this week their efforts came to fruition. By raising the LGBTQIA+ flag, the HCS and CCS communities are telling the students that we see them, we care about them, and we welcome them. All of them. Plans are in place to raise this flag at more CVSD schools as well.

This is a vital message, as the importance of listening and centering students' voices could save lives. According to the National LGBT Education Center: “Suicide risk in LGBTQ people is thought to be highest during the teen years and early 20s. In 2015, more than 4.5 times as many LGB-identified high school students reported attempting suicide in the past 12 months compared to non-LGB students (29.4% vs 6.4%); 42.8% of LGB youth seriously considered suicide. Youth who are bisexual or questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity are even more likely to experience depression or suicidality than their LG-identified peers.”

For those who are concerned that some students are too young to learn about their LGBTQIA+ peers and validate their experiences, it is important to note that students do not come out because they learn about LGBTQIA+ identities and options. They come out because (and when) they have a safe place to express their identity. The idea that this is a phase or that children are too young to learn about gender identity is not upheld by the data. A study of 317 children from the USA and Canada by the Trans Youth Project reports that the average age of transition is 6.5 year old and only 2.6% re-transitioned to the gender at birth after some years. In an NPR interview with transgender writer and veteran Chelsea Manning, she describes her pain before coming out as physically painful, as if there were bee stings all over her body. Many youth do not come out for fear of rejection by their families, others have become homeless and forced to sexwork, and others are at risk of suicide--and still these brave children follow their heart. Using the correct pronouns is a powerful way to validate their identities.

Throughout the history of humanity, LGBTQ+ people have been present, silenced, and persecuted, in particular in Western societies. Many traditional communities around the world recognize more than two genders, giving respectable positions and sometimes healing powers to the people who identify beyond the binary gender classification, for instance the Muxes from Mexico, Native American Two Spirits, the Navajo Nadleehi, Hawaiian Maju, Aravan from India, Femminiello from Italy, Kathoey from Thailand, and more.

If you would like to know more about this issue you can visit your local library or contact the following organizations: The Trevor Project, GLSEN, OutrightVT, It Gets Better. Your knowledge and acceptance may very well save lives.

Here are some family-friendly videos:

Defining LGBTQ terms for Children

How To Teach Your Kids About Gender

Explaining Nonbinary: How to Talk to Kids About Gender

Talking about gender with kids

Gender stereotypes

I am transgender

LGBTQ history

Let’s Get It Right: Using Correct Pronouns and Names: Article

• Thursday, October 27, 6:00-8:00 pm, Strategic Planning Community Forum #3, CVU library
• November 15, 6:00pm, CVSD School Board meeting, CVU room 160 and online via the Media Factory
• November 21-25, Thanksgiving Week, no school

In order to keep them safe, it is important that we have updated and accurate information about each and every student. All parents/caregivers, please take the time to log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal account and navigate to the “Forms” icon on the left-hand toolbar to review, update and submit the following forms for each of your children as soon as possible. Click here for detailed instructions, if needed.

Please note that your submission of the Health and Permissions forms are required before your child may participate in any off-site field trips.

1. Annual Student Contact Updates

2. Annual Student Health Update (required for field trip participation)

3. Annual Student Permissions Update (required for field trip participation)

4. Annual Student Transportation Update

(PreK is for those students physically attending our schools.)

If you have questions about how to access your Parent Portal account or how to submit the forms please contact your school directly.

CVSD Families and Caregivers: Here's a great opportunity!

If your child participates in the free or reduced-price meals program at school, then your family is eligible for the new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)! It's another reason to fill out the Free and Reduced Price School Meals form. https://bit.ly/cvsdFRmeals

Learn more about qualifying for affordable internet service through the ACP at https://getmyinternet.org/

The Vermont Agency of Education and Department of Health recently shared updated considerations for schools for the start of the new school year. We have summarized those on this document. We will keep all staff, families, and caregivers informed if there are any changes.

Please enroll to receive text messages from the district and/or our campuses. If you haven't done this yet or if you are new to CVSD, follow the easy steps on this flyer. We don't overuse this method of communication, but it is helpful for reminders and quick announcements. Don't miss out!

Let’s Talk! makes it easy for anyone to engage with school and district leaders on the topics that matter most. Unlike an email, your inquiry is automatically routed to the person or team best suited to respond, ensuring you receive timely and accurate responses every time.

We invite folks from all of our communities to share kudos for a teacher, staff member, administrator, or anything or anyone having to do with our schools. These can be shared at any time and will be forwarded to the appropriate recipient. Look for the CVSD Kudos topic!

Look for the Let's Talk tab or page on our district's website.

Resources to keep accessible:

• First Call - 488-7777: phone support, crisis intervention, assessment and referrals
• In Crisis: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) (National Hopeline Network: USA)
• National Suicide Prevention Life line- 1-800-273-TALK (8255), call or chat online
• Crisis Text Line - text HOME to 741741 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
• Outright Vermont - support for LGBTQ+ community
• UVM Breathe In Breath Out - How to deal with stress due to COVID-19
• Vermont 211 -Vermont database of resources and services
• Vermont Support Line (833) 888-2557) - peer support warmline open 247 - 365 for call or text
• COVID Counselors @ VT-211
• Teen Crisis Text Line - Crisis Text Line provides free emotional support and information to teens in any type of crisis, including feeling suicidal. You can text with a trained specialist 24 hours a day. Text “HOME” to 741741.
• Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide - Website where you can find information to help yourself or a friend who may be having thoughts of suicide.
• Trevor Lifeline - 1-866- 488-7386 - provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. It offers free, 24/7, confidential counseling. TrevorText—text START to 678-678; TrevorChat—instant messaging at TheTrevorProject.org/help. It also runs TrevorSpace, an affirming social networking site for LGBTQ youth at TrevorSpace.

Serving the communities of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston.

Reach out using any of the methods below or visit our Let's Talk page. Please use Let's Talk rather than email.

Let's Talk: https://www.cvsdvt.org/page/268
Website: https://www.cvsdvt.org/
Location: 5420 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, VT
Phone: (802) 383-1234
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChamplainValleySchoolDistrict
Twitter: @cvsdvt