Hello CVSD Families and Caregivers,

Happy New Year! This, our first newsletter of 2023, is loaded with lots of information and many opportunities for providing feedback to our district. Below, we have some information about the strategic plan, our proposed 2023-24 budget, and other timely items for your attention.

We have been very close the last couple of weeks to closing or delaying our schools due to snow. In addition to monitoring the forecast, we stay in close contact with our neighboring districts in Franklin, Chittenden, and Addison counties to see what they plan on doing for their schools. We also consider when the snow begins and ends, the temperature, and the wind chill. Several of us are out on the main roads early to assess drivability. Though we’ve been fortunate to have had only one snow day so far, we are always vigilant to keep our students safe.

I would like to thank Adam Bunting, Ricky McCollum, Ute Otley, Dr. Asma Abunaib, Christina Deeley, and Bageshree Blasius for their response and proactivity to the reaction and subsequent events resulting from a TikTok video shared by one of the members of our girls’ basketball team. If there is any doubt about the power and influence of social media, this should be a lesson for all of us. The TikTok video challenged many of us to think more deeply about the power of social media, anti-racism, disciplinary and/or restorative practices, and many other aspects of this current situation. It has also raised awareness of the process schools must undertake to discuss race, LGBTQ, ability, and inclusive issues in an open forum when discipline or restorative practices are involved. Additionally, the TikTok video raises awareness among educators of how schools need to develop restorative practices across schools and districts, sometimes even when they are miles or hours apart.

Experiences such as these are learning opportunities for each of us. I am thankful that our community is challenging the district to do more and be more for our students. I am thankful to the board for passing our equity policy and undertaking an equity audit. I am proud of our system for looking internally and knowing we must grow into a district where we can serve all of our students according to their identity, ability, and need. I am proud of our students and other Vermont students for leading this march. I am proud of CVU for collaborating throughout this experience with the other high schools and their teams, the Vermont Principals Association, the Vermont Educational Equity Collective, and others. We are not only reacting to the current situation but also planning out local and statewide systems for the future should something like this happen again.

In closing, I’d like to finish with a Dr. Martin Luther King quote from an address he gave at Spelman College in 1960:

[Y]ou must never become bogged down in mountains and situations that will impede your progress. You must never become complacently adjusted to unobtained goals; you have been in this mountain long enough, “turn ye and take your journey.” …

The basic thing is to keep moving. Move out of these mountains that impede our progress to this new and noble and marvelous land. …

If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

Dr. King’s mountains were symbols during his speech then and are symbols evocative now of our district’s and state’s desire better to understand diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. While we have begun the journey and are making some progress, there is still more distance to go, and I am happy to be a part of it.

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.

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.

Calling all 5-year-olds! Kindergarten Awaits!

All CVSD PreK-8 schools will be opening our Kindergarten Registration for the 2023-2024 school year starting February 1st, 2023. Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) is asking families to register their Kindergartners by February 24th, in an effort to get more accurate enrollment numbers for our schools. These enrollment numbers help us to plan our staffing and scheduling needs for the upcoming school year.

Please contact the school in your town to pre-register your child for the 2023-2024 school year if they will turn 5 years old by September 1, 2023. We will need your child's name, date of birth, parent's names, address(es), phone numbers and email addresses. By February 1st, we will be emailing instructions so you can register your child online through our PowerSchool Parent Portal. The Kindergarten page on the Registration section of the district's website provides more information.

There will be more information coming in early spring. Thank you and we look forward to having your child join us in the fall.

We wanted to let families know that we are seeing an increase in influenza cases (primarily Influenza A) and influenza-like illnesses in all of our school health offices. Students are primarily presenting with headaches, sore throats, body aches and fevers. COVID does continue to circulate in our greater community but it does not appear to be the primary source of illness at this time (we continue to have both antigen and PCR tests available to families--just reach out if you have a need). While we are committed to keeping students in school as much as possible, we also know that sometimes staying home is best for everyone. We encourage families to follow this guidance when navigating when to keep students home.

Please feel free to reach out to your school's health office if you ever have any questions or contact your pediatrician if/when your child is ill.

The CVSD Strategic Planning committee has drafted some elements of the plan and is seeking input from all community members. That includes parents/caregivers, those without children in our schools, faculty/staff, and students.

Please view this set of slides, which were shared at the January virtual Town Hall, and then use this form to share your thoughts. These links are also available on the Strategic Planning page of the district's website. Please contribute your input by February 15. Thank you!

At the January 17th School Board meeting, the CVSD Board of Directors approved the proposed budget that will be presented to voters before or on Town Meeting Day. They also approved the articles that voters will see on the ballot.

We have updated the Budget Page on the district's website and the Annual Report page. Please view both and stay informed. This budget booklet will be arriving in mailboxes in the next few weeks. Preview it now!

Reach out to the School Board via email (cvsdschoolboard@cvsdvt.org) or use the School Board or Budget topics on our Let's Talk page with questions, feedback, or compliments.

• CVSD's Board Chair, Angela Arsenault, provided this introduction to kick off an updated series of videos pertaining to the budget ​development ​process.

• An overview of the budget development process, featuring​ Superintendent​ Rene Sanchez and CVSD's COO, Gary Marckres

• Special Education Budgeting, described by CVSD's Director of Student Support Services, Anna Couperthwait

• Education Quality Standards, outlined by CVSD's Director of Learning and Innovation, Sarah Crum

• NEW! CVSD's Operations and Maintenance, which includes a field trip to CVU from COO, Gary Marckres

• February 1, Shelburne/Charlotte/Hinesburg Rotary
• February 7, Shelburne PTO
• February 9, Williston FAP
• February 13, Charlotte Selectboard
• February 16, St. George All Board Meeting
• March 6, Shelburne Town Meeting
• March 6, Williston Town Meeting

These presentations are also listed on the Budget page of the district's website. We'll add more as they are scheduled.

As a team, the DEI Coaches and Director are working to move forward in the Equity Audit’s first recommendation of creating a shared understanding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work at CVSD as well as in each school individually.

Since the beginning of the school year 2022-2023, the DEI coaches at the schools have been working on collecting input from the school communities about what DEI means to them. This input, along with the equity audit report information, and the history of the school district’s DEI work will be used by the DEI team to create a draft document that represents a shared vision for DEI work in our district that will be no more than four pages. The shared vision draft will explain the focus of CVSD DEI work and provide shared definitions for all community members.

As part of this work, we are forming a committee to give us feedback on this document. Our goal is to have 17-20 members on this committee including teachers, students, parents, community, support staff, and admin. This feedback committee will not include CVSD leadership because they will have a separate feedback committee.

The rough timeline for the committee is as follows:

• Forming the committee in January.
• Share the draft document with the committee by February 1st.
• The committee will share their feedback via email and/or at a 2 hour in-person/hybrid by mid February. We will try to provide childcare for this meeting for those that attend in person.

If you are interested in being part of this committee, please contact the DEI coach at your school. If you would like to read the complete Equity Audit report click here

As an additional opportunity to be more involved and informed around Diversity Equity and Inclusion in our district, you are invited to attend our DEI Town Halls which occur every other month. The next Town Hall meeting will be held on Feb. 8 at 6:30pm. More information and a Zoom link to the meeting is posted here.

• February 1: Kindergarten Registration begins
• February 4: Penguin Plunge (All CVSD schools have teams!)
• February 8: CVSD Virtual Town Hall: DEI 6:30 pm
• February 8: 8th Grade Family Night @ CVU 6:45 pm
• February 21: CVSD School Board Meeting 6:30 pm
• February 27 - March 3 - No School, Late Winter Vacation Week

A letter went out by email to families/caregivers earlier this week about Pandemic-EBT benefits. If any changes to student information have taken place, the information we have on file needs to be updated by January 31st to ensure eligibility for benefits related to missing free school meals due to a COVID related absence. Please see this letter for further information and who to contact.

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/

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.

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
Website
Location: 5420 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, VT
Phone: (802) 383-1234
Facebook
Twitter @cvsdvt

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Instagram @cvsdvt