CVSD Update
Hello Families and Caregivers,
The leaves on the trees are finally popping as we approach the end of October. It makes for beautiful drives to work, school, and everywhere else we need to go for our daily commute.
First, thank the caregivers, faculty, and staff members who completed the Panorama climate survey. This feedback we receive from the survey is tied directly to our five-year strategic plan, so the more information we receive, the better we can implement and monitor the framework and expectations of the plan. There is still time to complete it if you have not yet had the opportunity. We will close the survey at the end of the day on Friday, October 20. You can find a link to the survey on our website.
Next, we are mailing the student results of the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program (or VTCAP) this week. The VTCAP is the end-of-year assessment our students took during May and June of last school year. We received the final results from the state on September 29. The VTCAP test replaces the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test that Vermont used over the last few years. Yearly, the state test is at the core of the Vermont Annual Snapshot, an online tool assembled by the Vermont Agency of Education to find quantitative data about schools, school districts, and supervisory unions. The goal of the snapshot is to have schools and communities co-create better outcomes for each and every student in their care. (The last data set in the Snapshot is from the 2021-22 school year.)
Over the next few months, we will be engaging in designing the budget for next year. We added a few questions to the Panorama survey asking for your feedback. We have another opportunity for communication and feedback coming up next week. Please plan on attending, in-person or via Zoom, our Community Budget Forum at CVU on Wednesday, October 25, at 6:00 p.m. Our hope and intent at the Forum, as well as throughout the process, is to pull back the veil on the process so more members of our community are informed and can help us with the decisions that support our values, mission, and vision and create growth and belonging for our students and employees. At the Forum, we plan on explaining some of the budget headwinds we face for next year, as well as the four years after that. So for us, it is essential that we offer more opportunities to share with and receive information from our community. I hope to see you there.
Please have a wonderful remainder of the week and an even better weekend. And if you are like my family and me, you are excitedly awaiting Halloween and Dia de los Muertos.
Thank you,
Rene
Visitors to our schools will see the new image above, which is replacing our previous mission statement.
We have 4 priority areas and a set of objectives under each of priority. We are currently finalizing actions and measures for each objective.
Find more details on the strategic plan page of the district’s website.
CVSD values your feedback and we want to know what you think!
We are currently surveying our families and caregivers to gain insight into your perception of our school and district's effectiveness. To ensure that we continue to provide high-quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college, career, and the future, we would love to learn your opinion on the progress towards those ends.
To administer these surveys, we have partnered with Panorama Education to conduct our Fall 2023 Family Survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential and anonymous. The survey will be a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools and our district exemplary.
You may complete the survey online through October 20.
During professional development time over the past 2 years, K-12 teachers worked to develop a clearly articulated coordinated curriculum that is…
horizontally and vertically aligned,
rigorous, relevant, inclusive, and diverse,
informed by and aligned with the national standards documents, and
intentionally designed to ensure our portrait of a graduate
Learn more on these slides, which were shared with Charlotte Central School's PTO this week.
All families of students in last year's grades 3-9 and 11 should have received or will soon receive this letter along with the Individual Student Reports and an Interpretation Guide for the VTCAP state assessments that were administered in the Spring of 2023. If needed, please open the letter and use Google Translate to make it more accessible. There are Family Interpretation Guides available in a selection of languages https://vermont.onlinehelp.cognia.org/reporting/.
Considering the traffic and safety concerns associated with the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse in Vermont, the Champlain Valley Superintendents Association, in consultation with local authorities and representatives from NASA, are moving forward with an early dismissal for students on that day. This proactive measure would prioritize the safety of our students, ensuring that they are not caught in the potential traffic congestion and safety hazards that could arise due to the eclipse's significant public interest.
The path of the eclipse moves directly across Burlington and Saint Albans. Although it is hard to imagine, it is anticipated that more than 250,000 people will travel to this area alone to view the eclipse. This does not account for those of us already living here. It is anticipated that eclipse goers will begin to line up along major traffic corridors and side roads beginning mid-day. The eclipse is scheduled to end in totality at 3:30 and partially at 4:30 creating traffic congestion that could potentially last until 6:30 p.m.
Students will be dismissed early to provide ample time for them to arrive home safely. There will be no after-school or evening events. We will provide more information as we get closer to that date.
Connecting Youth Seeks Mentors
Are you a fun, caring and trustworthy adult looking to make a true difference in a young person's life? Consider mentoring! Connecting Youth is seeking community volunteers to join our team of mentors for 5th-12th grade students across Champlain Valley School District.
Mentors and mentee pairs meet weekly for about an hour
School year commitment
Mentor training and continual support provided by CVSD mentor coordinators.
Middle school mentors have access to dedicated spaces for cooking, crafting, playing games and developing a friendship.
High school mentors work alongside students to grow their skills and resilience, exploring new interests and experiences.
Learn more here or contact a CVSD Mentor Coordinator today
Charlotte Central School, Kate Rooney, krooney@cvsdvt.org, 802-425-6682
Hinesburg Community School, Livy Bulger, lbulger@cvsdvt.org, 802-482-6248
Champlain Valley Union, Alison Duback, aduback@cvsdvt.org 802-482-8921
PowerSchool Annual Updates
Annual Update Forms MUST be completed annually. Forms may be completed on-line or using the PowerSchool Mobile App.
Returning students and anyone who registered their student for this school year before August 1 must fill out the forms.
Use these directions to use the PowerSchool Mobile App Please contact your school if you need assistance in any way.
Free and Reduced Meal Information - Please Read!
We request that all families fill out the Free and Reduced Meal application each year as well. Students need healthy meals to learn. The Champlain Valley School District offers healthy meals every school day. In School Year 2023-2024, all students will receive free breakfast and lunch at school. Even though there is no charge for breakfast and lunch, we ask that you to fill out this application for free and reduced-price school meals.
This document provides many of the reasons why it is important to fill out the forms even though meals are free to students this year. Please go to the Free and Reduced Meals page on our website to learn more and to access the online and printable forms.
If you did not receive your eligibility letter for Free & Reduced meals and you would like a copy of it, please contact Stephanie Hurlburt at SHurlburt@cvsdvt.org or 802.985.1925.
The Vermont Department of Health recently shared that it no longer plans to send COVID-19 tests directly to schools and that school nurses can no longer administer COVID-19 tests to students. Please see more in this article from VTDigger
The state has made COVID tests available to municipalities, libraries, and food shelves to be distributed for free to the public.
As always, if you are sick, please stay at home. When you feel better, you can return to school. Refer to the Health Services page of our website for the answers to frequently asked questions.
Sign Up to Receive SMS/Text Messages!
Please enroll to receive text messages from the district and/or our schools. 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!
If you've already opted in, there's no need to do it again.
Let's Talk!
Let’s Talk! makes it easy for you to engage with school and district leaders on the topics that matter most. Your inquiry is automatically routed to the person or team best suited to respond, ensuring you receive timely and accurate responses every time.
Please use this platform to share your questions, feedback, suggestions, and compliments.
Look for the Let's Talk tab or page on our district's website.
CVSD Family and Student Handbook
CVSD's Family and Student Handbook has been updated for the 2023-2024 school year.
We are hiring for a variety of positions for the 2023-2024 school year. Join our team!
