SCS Weekly Newsletter 1.23.23
Week of January 23, 2023
Principals' Message
Hello SCS Families and Caregivers,
Are you wondering what a 'day in the life' of your child is like as an SCS student this year? Here's your chance to get a student-led tour throughout the building! Our schoolwide (PreK-8) Open House is taking place on Thursday 1/26 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
We cannot wait to see the school buzzing with energy as students escort their families throughout the SCS building. Please enter the building at the main office or the B wing entrance on School Street (where dropoffs and pickups enter the school each day). We will be providing families with a passport and maps to help you make your way through various learning spaces including your child's classroom(s), art, music, PE, library, CY Mentoring space, MLL space, SLP spaces, Math Dept, Literacy Dept, our cafeteria space, Planning Room, Delta space, and more! Ms. Morrison's art students have been busy designing stamps to fill your passports as you visit different spaces and meet some of the many faces and talents that make SCS the amazing place it is!
You'll also get to see the awesome extra-curricular experiences our school provides our SCS students such as SKAT programs, DEI committees, PTO, SCS Food Smart, Everybody Wins Mentoring, Nearby Nature, and so much more.
Parking for families will be on-site on a first-come-first-serve basis. With the weather and our limited parking, carpooling or walking from the town center would be much appreciated. You're welcome to park at Davis Circle as well if space is available. You can stop by for 10 minutes, or stay with us the full hour and a half - this is intended to be casual, interactive, and exploratory. Doors will close by 7:00 p.m.
We look forward to seeing you! Be sure to check out the invitations below, created by SCS students Zala Karimi and Saleha Rezaie from Grade 6.
Take Care,
Alison, Brett & Emily
UVM Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 2023
The Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is pleased to announce the 2023 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Keynote with Dr. Carolyn Finney. Carolyn is a story teller, author and a cultural geographer who is deeply interested in issues related to identity, differences, creativity and resilience. Lecture will be followed by Q&A and a book signing.
This year's celebration will also include musical guests Dwight + Nicole.
Tickets are free and required for both in-person and online attendees. Register here.
Thursday, Jan 26, 2023, 04:00 PM
Ira Allen Chapel, University Place, Burlington, VT, USA
Our American Heart Association - Kids Heart Challenge is HERE!
We are getting ready to kick off our event on Tuesday, January 31st with a Virtural Assembly, hosted by the American Heart Assocation! Get a head start and go online to register to take a Challenge to Move More or Be Kind.
Click here to find our school (Click Here for Link).
When students join the Kids Heart Challenge, not only will they raise funds to help kids — and all people — with special hearts, but they’ll also learn about their heart health. Activities and interactive technologies make it fun to learn how to keep your heart and brain strong and emphasize both physical and emotional wellness. Plus, our school can earn PE equipment!
CVSD DEI Committee - ~VOLUNTEERS NEEDED~
CVSD is looking for volunteers to sit on a feedback committee to give feedback on the shared vision/ understanding for the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) .
We hope to have 17-20 members on this committee from teachers, students, parents, community, support staff, and admin.
If you are interested or have any questions please feel free to contact Lashawn Sells SCS DEI Coach at 802 985-3331 or email me at lsells@cvsdvt.org. The committee is looking to start in February .
Girls on the Run - Looking for Coaches
Girls on the Run is a girl-empowerment organization that inspires participants to be joyful, healthy and confident using evidence-based lessons that combine relationship building, community strengthening, and goal setting with physical movement.
Through lessons that involve games, conversation and movement, your kiddo can tap into their full potential of being confident, joyful and healthy for their entire lives. The program takes place over 10 weeks, with teams meeting twice a week for 90 minutes each session. Programming is open to female identifying and non-binary 3rd-5th graders.
Participants connect, move, learn and have FUN each session. The Spring 2023 season begins the week of March 27th. Registration goes live on Wednesday, February 22nd , with a celebratory 5K event on Saturday, June 3rd in Essex.
Caregivers who volunteer to coach are guaranteed that their child has a spot on the team by coaching. Not a runner? No problem! Haven’t coached before? No problem! Girls on the Run VT (GOTRVT) provides training, easy to follow lesson plans, supplies and support from GOTRVT staff for a transformational season.
Visit gotrvt.org/coach to learn more or sign up to volunteer. Questions? Contact GOTRVT at stephanie@girlsontherunvermont.org or 802-871-5664.
SKAT Updates
Blue Team Computer Science Field Trip to BETA!
SCS Walk to School Event - February 1, 2023 at 7:30am in the center of Shelburne
SCS is so excited about our upcoming Walk to School event with LocalMotion! We are encouraging all to join us to walk (or roll) to school on Wednesday, February 1st, starting at 7:30am in the center of Shelburne at 'the green'. We are thrilled to already have 10 community volunteers helping us to make this a safe event for all - thank you for your support! Each of our school bus drivers will provide the option for students to get off the bus at the green and join us for the walk to school event. Here is an “opt-out” letter for families to choose not to participate in this program Opt-Out Form.
I wanted to share the perspective of Amy Brewer, one of our Regional Coordinators, who works for Northwest Regional Medical Center, and coordinates quite a few Park & Walk events:
“School-age kiddos learn lifelong skills and build the foundations for their healthy behaviors each day at school. Learning to safely navigate their communities, becoming responsible citizens, and learning the rules of the road as a pedestrian or bicyclist should be successfully taught and practiced during the school day. All around Vermont, in rural, urban, and suburban communities, students safely walk to school in a variety of weather.In communities such as Enosburg, St. Albans, and Williston, students walk with volunteers (school staff and community volunteers) to walk to school regularly. Crossing guards and/or law enforcement are present to ensure identified intersections are safely navigated. We’ve even had local pediatricians and other local “celebrities” join the walks! Volunteers both lead and follow the walkers and rollers to ensure all students arrive to school. Older students have been recruited to help lead as well, which helps them to develop their sense of responsibility.
In fact, some of the very important reasons to encourage walking and rolling to school are to reduce car traffic at and around school – between the distracted drop offs and pick ups and students exiting and entering vehicles – all students (no matter how they got to school) are actually at increased risk of being struck by someone driving a vehicle during those times. Having fewer cars arriving at a school makes kids safer (motor vehicle deaths are a leading cause of death for kids in Vermont). Additionally, idling can increase pollution and exacerbate asthma symptoms. Lastly, it has been shown again and again that students who walk to school are more focused and ready to learn. They also really enjoy it!
Many VT communities have implemented this model safely and regularly. With a whole school bus drop off event, it’s possible to break into smaller groups making it easier to track students, and students could receive a small token when they arrive at school after an adult checks them in (making tracking easier).”
Remote drop-off events are quite common and are one of Safe Routes to Schools’ core programmatic events to make walk & roll to school events feasible for rural areas, or for students with equity barriers.
There are many safeguards in place for these types of events–with many adults in place to ensure student safety. A good ratio of adults to children is around 5 students per adult, but that ratio depends a lot on many variables, and that number can range anywhere from 4 to 10 children per adult.
~ Mary-Catherine Graziano (Local Motion)
Pre-K Lottery is Now Open
The CVSD Early Education Program is now accepting applications for a random preschool lottery drawing for the 2023-24 school year. This lottery is for an opportunity to enroll in one of our school-based classrooms which run 10 hours per week. Our school-based preschool classrooms are 5 STARs, licensed early education programs that provide play-based, developmentally appropriate environments for all children in an inclusive setting. Please visit this page for more information. Applications are due by February 3.
SCS Kindergarten Registration (for 2023-2024) Opens February 1, 2023
All children who will be 5 years old by September 1st, 2023 should be registering for Kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year. Registration will be completed via PowerSchool online - please reach out to Patty Spagnolo at pspagnolo@cvsdvt.org with any questions, she's more than happy to help!
SCS Penguin Plunge! - Saturday, February 4th, 2023
To sign up:
1. Click Here
2. Press register
3. Press Join a team
4. Look up Shelburne Community School Plungers
5. Click it and sign up!
8th Grade Family Night
Wednesday, Feb 8, 2023, 06:30 PM
Champlain Valley Union High School, C V U Road, Hinesburg, VT, USA
CVSD Strategic Planning - We Welcome Your Input!
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 last week's 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!
CVSD Intra-District Choice
SCS Yearbook Orders
The 2022-23 SCS Yearbook is now on sale! The cost is $32. All students at SCS are included in the yearbook. Orders can be submitted to your child's classroom teacher or on-line until April 7th. Order forms went home last week.
You are also welcome to order online anytime until April 7th. The link to order on-line is: Yearbook sales
Access CVU
ACCESS CVU, your community education program, is pleased to announce the Winter/Spring 2023 Catalog is now open for registration! With over 170 classes (online and in-person) and 80 instructors there is something of interest for all ages and for all towns. The semester runs from Feb 1-June 2, and is packed full of exciting classes from popular favorites to 39 brand new courses!
Sign-up for the ACCESS CVU Newsletter HERE and follow us on Instagram @ACCESSCVU.
New Spring Course Offerings From Access CVU
Wow! Don't miss the new offerings from Access CVU. Access CVU is pleased to announce the Winter/Spring 2023 Catalog is now open for registration! With over 170 classes and 80 instructors, there is something of interest for everyone and all ages. There are 63 in February alone! Get information about the courses, how to sign up, and more on this CVSD Story blog post.
Let's Talk
SCS PTO
Still Need More Information?
Website: https://www.cvsdvt.org/shelburne
Access Information on the CVSD Website
See the year at a glance on the 2022-2023 K-8 School Year Calendar.
The CVSD Mission is to develop citizens who learn, think, live, contribute, and pursue excellence. See The CVSD Story.
Shelburne Community School Administration
Brett Cluff, 5-8 Principal
Emily Cogan, Director of Special Education