CVSD Update
May 22, 2022
Superintendent's Message
Hello Families, Caregivers, and Community Members,
I hope that you and your family have had a wonderful weekend so far. If you, a loved one, or a neighbor was affected by the storms last night, I hope that everyone is now safe and you were able to weather the storm’s power outages. Enjoy the warm weather today and please be sure to be careful if you are having to perform any clean up in your yard.
During last week’s School Board meeting, our board approved the following central office and school-based hires:
CVSD Chief Operations Officer: Gerald (Gary) Marckres
CVSD Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Dr. Asma Abunaib
Shelburne Co-Principal: Brett Cluff
Shelburne Special Education Director: Emily Cogan
CVSD Director of Early Learning: Erin Gagne
CVSD Behavior Systems Director: Evan Sivo
We are absolutely thrilled to have each of these leaders take on roles critical to the success of our schools and district.
This past week, representatives from Mass Insight visited the district in person at our central office and in our schools, meeting with focus groups of students, staff, administrators, and others. Mass Insight will continue to seek information from our stakeholders via surveys and virtual focus groups. We are on track to having the audit finished this summer.
If you have time and have not yet done so, please complete the following surveys to inform the equity audit:
Other Community Members who are NOT current parents or caregivers
I’d like to take this opportunity to speak to the pain that is being felt in Buffalo, New York, Orange County, California, and Dallas, Texas. Each of these locations experienced a senseless shooting based on the shooters’ perception of the victims’ ethnicity or national origin. At least two, if not all three, will be pursued as hate crimes. Many of us will struggle with this tragedy and will want answers, investigations, and other processes to ensure that justice is met, victims are remembered and acknowledged, and the families left behind are cared for and helped with the loss. We will never know the extent of the trauma felt by the above-mentioned communities or felt by the survivors of mass shootings from other parts of the country. By extension, our students and families could be affected by these stories in one way or another. If you think that your student needs to have a conversation about these events, please encourage them to contact the counseling or social work services within our schools.
In closing, this week is the last full five-day week of the school year. Next week we will celebrate Memorial Day and the following week will have a half-day on Friday, June 10. The time between now and then will definitely speed up due to the number of events and school items due. Given that school will likely be very busy, I hope that you and your family were and are able to continue to enjoy and relish your spring activities together this weekend.
Rene
Parents/Caregivers - Share Your Insight about Equity
The Champlain Valley School District wants each student to have a school experience that allows them to get what they need every day to learn and feel successful. The district also wants each student to be prepared with the skills and tools to pursue whatever they want once they graduate.
As a part of our equity audit partnership with Mass Insight, we want to hear from you. Our partner, Mass Insight, is offering a 10-minute survey for family members and caregivers to learn about your experience and that of your child/children. Additionally, families may receive a phone call in the month of May which should last no longer than 10 minutes. We hope you will participate and share your thoughts.
We value family and caregiver input as we continue to create a more inclusive environment for teaching and learning, and we hope that you will participate in the survey. A high response rate will enable us to confidently take the necessary steps to make CVSD a more inclusive and equitable place for all. Please use this link to take the survey.
Students in grades 5-12 are also encouraged to fill out a similar survey and have a different link provided by their teachers.
CVSD 2nd Annual Pride Rally
COVID Testing Update
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.
Mark Your Calendars
- The last day of school for students in grades K-7 is June 10, which is a half-day for students.
CCS is releasing at 12:00pm
HCS is releasing at 11:45am
ABS releases at 11:35am and WCS at 11:55am
SCS will release at 11:30am
- 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. Friday, June 10, is a Make-Up Exam day from 8:45-10:30.
- CVU seniors graduate on June 10 at 2:00pm!
Introducing Let's Talk and CVSD Kudos
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.
We invite folks from all of our communities to share kudos for a teacher, staff member, or administrator or anything or anyone having to do with our schools. We have had many thoughtful submissions so far. These can be shared at any time and will be forwarded to the appropriate recipient.
Look for CVSD Kudos or any other topic on the Let's Talk tab or page on our district's website.
Caution: High Speed Trains Coming Through!
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.
CCS Informance
Cookies Are Great... right?
Williston Team Wins State-wide Stock Market Game Competition
COVID Information and Resources
Resources for Families
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.
Champlain Valley School District
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