CVSD Update

Hello CVSD Families and Caregivers,

Spring is definitely here and April Break has arrived at a wonderful time. For many of our students, families, and community members, not only is this a time to recover from winter and from an extended time in school but it is also a time for reflection and family. Many holidays are celebrated at this time of the year and having this time to share with loved ones is essential. So, please enjoy your break and your time together, and if you are able, take some time to enjoy Vermont’s outdoors.

Our Equity Audit surveys will be shared with our students, administrators, and teachers before we close out for this week. They will remain open for two weeks after the break. Our surveys for families, community members, and other employees in the district will kick off during the week we return from April Break. This information will be collected and analyzed by Mass Insight to assist CVSD with determining short-term and long-term activities and projects as well as informing our five-year strategic plan.

We started laying the groundwork for our five-year strategic plan with presentations to our central office administrative team, our board chair and vice-chair, and our campus administrators. The development of CVSD’s five-year plan will be led by a facilitator from the Vermont School Boards Association. (Click on the link for more information on the VT VSBA strategic planning process.) We will put together a Strategic Plan Steering Committee where we will recruit many stakeholders from across the district and the five towns. In addition to educator representatives from the district, we will also need parents, students, community members, and others from the safety, government, and business arenas. In addition to the Steering Committee, there will be opportunities to serve or contribute to subcommittees focused on the goals created by the larger committee. We will begin taking and recruiting volunteers in May so please keep an eye out for more information.

Please see below for some exciting news about recent hires to leadership roles in the district.

Rene

Eid al-Fitr - which means the Feast of Breaking the Fast - is the Islamic religious holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. There is no school in CVSD on May 3 in observance of the holiday. We realize that there are a number of different dates listed on which this holiday may be observed, depending on the moon sighting in different locations. We hope that you will take the time to learn more about Eid al-Fitr. Here's one resource; there are many!

It is our pleasure to pass along news of recent hires for leadership positions in CVSD.

First, Anna Couperthwait will be taking on the Director of Student Services role. Anna is the director of special education at CVU. You can learn more about Anna in this announcement.

We are excited to share that Sarah Crum will be our next Director of Learning and Innovation, replacing Jeff Evans, who is retiring. For those who may not know Sarah, she is currently the Director of Special Education for the Williston Schools. Prior to that, she was a special educator at CVU and an English teacher in Colorado. Sarah has K-12 experience and will do a fabulous job in this position. Here’s an official announcement with more information about Sarah.

Additionally, Matt Vile will take on the Director of Network Services position that is open due to Mike Kanfer’s impending retirement. Matt is currently one of the district's network administrators.

And finally, some of you may know that Cassandra Townshend, who was the director of special education at Charlotte Central School, left that role in January to take on a position at UVM. She will be replaced next year by Beth Slater, who is a special educator at CCS.

We look forward to welcoming these talented folks to their new positions in CVSD. We will keep you posted as other positions are filled.

The following was shared by VT’s Secretary of Education, Dan French.

“As of April 4, 2022, and as public health conditions in Vermont relative to COVID-19 continue to improve, the Staff Assurance Testing and Test at Home programs will be discontinued in Vermont schools. With the conclusion of these testing programs, staff and student households may be reminded that they can make an appointment at a State of Vermont testing site to obtain up to eight rapid antigen tests or one LAMP test per appointment for their use at home.

Per the Vermont Department of Health, school nurses should continue to conduct diagnostic testing in school using LAMP or antigen tests. Schools can also make take-home antigen tests available to students, staff and their households on an as-needed basis or at the clinical discretion of the school nurse.”

CVSD has a good supply of antigen tests in our schools. Please reach out to your school’s nurse to request them.

Wondering what to do if your child is ill? This document may answer some of your questions.

• The last day of school for students in grades K-7 is June 10, which is a half-day for students.
• 8th grade graduations will take place on June 9th! Your schools will share more specific information as it gets closer.
• Grades 9-12 have end-of-year assessments the week beginning June 6.
• CVU seniors graduate on June 10!

At the March CVSD School Board meeting, representatives from Amtrak and the Department of Transportation shared a presentation about the new Amtrak service that will travel through Charlotte and Shelburne on its way to Burlington. Service officially begins in July, however, they have started qualifying and testing runs already.

It is critical that we all work together to educate everyone about track safety, especially students and young drivers. Stay Off the Tracks provides more information about the increased need for safety.

CVSD recently rolled out a new feature on our website. This is a communication tool for faculty/staff, students, families, and community members.

Let’s Talk! makes it easy for you 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.

Have a question about health and safety or do you need information regarding employment opportunities? Those are just a few examples of topics you might choose.

Simply open the Let’s Talk! pop-out tab on our district's website or go directly to our Let’s Talk! landing page. Then select a topic to start a conversation.

Learn more about Let’s Talk and how it works in a few easy steps on this document. We will be rolling this out at the school level over the summer.

The IRS strongly encourages individuals who are not required to file a tax return to file one this season to claim potentially thousands of dollars in tax credits. By filing a tax return, individuals could claim:

• The Recovery Rebate Credit to receive any remaining 2021 stimulus payments that they might not have received (for example, if they added a new child or other dependent in 2021);
• The remaining Child Tax Credit for which they are eligible, including any monthly payments that they might not have received (for example, if they added a new qualifying child in 2021); and
• The Earned Income Tax Credit, the federal government’s largest refundable tax credit for low- to moderate-income families (the amount of which has been nearly tripled for filers without children).
• Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers
• Free File: Do your Federal Taxes for Free

Look for this image on our district and school websites to get to our COVID page.

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.

Email: cvsdinformation@cvsdvt.org
Website: https://www.cvsdvt.org/
Location: 5420 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, VT, USA
Phone: (802) 383-1234
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChamplainValleySchoolDistrict
Twitter: @cvsdvt