CCS Newsletter
May 15, 2020
ADMINISTRATION UPDATE
Dear CCS Families,
With the transition into remote learning, we feel it is essential to share the innovative perseverance our teachers are demonstrating through the process and how it will shape our planning for next year. As one of our teachers described, “not only are the students learning in this new structure and modality, the learning of the educator has taken off exponentially.” One way to think about this instructional evolution is as a continuous improvement cycle. The feedback loops and adjustments being made are in response to our own new learning about tools and research, our observations of students and the information families are sharing about their experiences. So, parents, thank you for your role in your child’s learning!
The Surveys sent from CVSD, CCS and individual teachers are being used at many different levels. The CVSD survey that has been sent twice since dismissal allows our school and the teams to see how communication and workloads are being received in homes. Individual teams are also gathering feedback through virtual conversations with students and families to drive the support system, the flexible demonstration of content growth, and the social/emotional needs of students. In the last few weeks, educators have shifted their synchronous and asynchronous opportunities to better meet students’ learning needs. There are more small group opportunities with all faculty and staff for content support and other times created for social connections that are grounded in personalization. Whether it is creation time with the art teacher or everyone cooking breakfast while streaming with an advisory, our goal is to provide experiences students and families are asking for.
Participation and Engagement are continually being monitored by teams with a lens on emotional wellbeing and ongoing learning. Teams are collaborating on what is developmentally appropriate for students for screen time, synchronous learning and the ongoing need to foster healthy, happy relationships with kids. We want to encourage families to communicate with educators if your child is not able to access the hangouts or to complete the learning activities provided. There are teams of dedicated educators available to support your child’s success.
Graduation is an important milestone for all 8th graders. CCS is currently gathering the hopes and ideas of the graduating students to capture the traditions of CCS. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to celebrating them in a creative way this year. Aligning with current guidelines from the Agency of Education and the VT Health Department, CCS’s graduation will be a virtual experience. Our teachers are brainstorming ways to perform the CCS Carnation ceremony with the kindergartners sending off the 8th graders. It is a tear-jerker and one that shows a full circle of the student experience at CCS. Our Awards Ceremony and the plan for the announcing of diplomas are also in the works. Opportunities are being explored for families and graduates to receive their diplomas, awards and carnations. June 11 has been established as a common graduation day for 8th graders across the District, with an exact time to be determined and June 12 will be the date graduation materials will be handed out or delivered.
We hope your weekend is full of laughter and sunshine! We want to send you off with a video from what has become a new tradition for CCS! Each Friday, at 2:45, we have a virtual “stand-up” faculty meeting. Allan Miller works with various groups, or on his own, to create a video that captures the spirit of remote learning as it unfolds - we hope you enjoy the video: Best Day of My Life - A Celebration of Remote Learning https://youtu.be/RBmbxot98Lw
(Playlist of all the Friday videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHTnaR7kI_P8cW2qHaUTlf8Ov1WbDKUec)
Kind regards,
Stephanie, Jen and Cassandra
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday, May 25th
Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
Green Up Day! Watch for more information around town for how you can help.
Thursday, June 11th
8th Grade Virtual Graduation - more details to come as they are available.
A POEM TO SHARE
SCHOOL-HOME PARTNERSHIP ON BEHALF OF STUDENT SAFETY
With students online even more during remote learning, it is critical that we all join together to support them. When Chromebooks went home with students, our district added a filtering and monitoring program to student school-issued Chromebooks that is similar to what we have in place when in the buildings. We are viewing data about sites that students attempt to access and we can truly say that they are focused primarily on educational content. That being said, some students have tried to access other sites, most of which have been blocked by our system. There are going to be occasions where a site may not be blocked and should be. We do count on parents and caregivers, whether during this time of remote learning or at any time, to partner with us to help monitor your child’s activity online. Please see the resources on the Technology page of our COVID-19 site. There, you will find not only information about getting tech support, but also more about digital citizenship, digital wellbeing, and a new podcast, “Parent Trapped,” from Common Sense Media designed specifically for parents at home with children during the pandemic. Here’s a link to the flyer that went home with Chromebooks as a reminder for how to get help. We hope you find something that is useful and informative. Thank you for working with us to support student learning.
CCS BEHAVIOR SYSTEMS SUPPORT DURING REMOTE LEARNING
Tim Holcomb and Mike DiNicola, CCS Behavior Systems Coordinator and Planning Room Facilitator, will offer office hours beginning next week on Mondays from 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm and on Thursdays from 2:30 pm - 3:00pm. The focus of this will be to provide families with support as they navigate remote learning and build positive expectations at home. Mike and Tim can collaborate with parents regarding common school language, reinforcement plans, and learning structures. Mike and Tim understand that each family's situation is different, and will be available to consult with parents as needed.
Weekly office hour links:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
At CCS, we are working hard to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of our students. During this time, people can be feeling stress, anxiety and in some cases despair. We never want families or children to feel alone.
Additional 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)
1-800-273-TALK (8255) (National Suicide Prevention Lifelife: USA)
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
STAY INFORMED
INTO THE WOODS VT
Into the Woods VT is designed to get parents and caregivers out into their yards exploring every day. This is a partnership between the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Project Learning Tree, the Vermont Woodlands Association, and the Vermont Tree Farm Program. Every Friday new easy and fun outdoor activities are posted on Facebook and Instagram. Families who share their photos and activities with us on either platform are automatically entered into our weekly prize drawings on Fridays.
GREEN UP DAY - CCS PARKING LOT COLLECTIONS
- E-waste collection run by Transition Town Charlotte. Large boxes of e-waste is collected by Good Point in Middlebury.
- Town Road commissioner Junior Lewis parks trucks for scrap metal collection, separated tires, clean wood and acceptable construction debris. Along with all the trash collected by GUD volunteers.
- Additionally, Abby Foulk will be rinsing recyclables collected along roadsides for bottle redemption at Tenneys. This becomes a fund raiser for the Boys and Girls Club or the Children's Medical Center.