SCS Weekly Newsletter 1.9.23
Week of January 9, 2023
Principals' Message
Hello SCS Families and Caregivers,
Do you ever wonder what happens with our Wednesday early-release afternoons? After students head home for the day, teachers and staff members engage in a variety of professional activities on Wednesdays from 2-4pm. Depending on the day and the needs of the moment, you might encounter any of the following events:
- Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings: grade-level or departmental teams (e.g. 2nd grade teachers or 5-8 science teachers) gather together to share student updates, align curriculum maps, and review data on student strengths and growth areas.
- Whole-school or K-4/5-8 group meetings: when a topic of interest to a wide swath of the school comes up, we will gather as a whole K-8 community, usually in the cafeteria. So far this year, we have brainstormed solutions for our staffing challenges, unpacked the CVSD equity audit recommendations, and celebrated colleagues for important life and career milestones.
- District-wide curriculum work: roughly once each month, all faculty members gather with their colleagues from across the district to work towards stronger alignment in what is being taught in each grade level and content area across the five K-8 schools in our district. At the K-4 level, CVSD coaches will sometimes visit SCS to support the implementation of particular curriculum programs.
- Structured Planning Time: Preparation for conferences, meetings, progress reporting, coordinating experiential learning opportunities, school events, etc.
- Program Council: this group of administrators, teachers, staff members, and coaches helps gather and provide input on important issues affecting the school-wide culture and climate at SCS. So far this year, they've tackled the structure of early-release Wednesday time and open house logistics. Next up on the agenda: dismissal procedures.
- Reviewing progress reports: before progress reports are sent home, teachers review their classes holistically to look for patterns, proofread comments, and make sure that we are accurately reporting on all aspects of your children's development.
- Outside professional development: we are fortunate to be part of a district that makes a financial commitment each year to every staff member's professional growth. SCS teachers and staff often sign up for courses and workshops offered by local or national organizations.
- Teacher-directed time: the past few years have brought wider attention to a truth educators have acknowledged for many years: supporting all aspects of our students' development is an incredibly complex job that requires collaboration, outside-the-box thinking, and thoughtful resource allocation. Our most precious of those resources is time. Providing time for our staff members to take care of their never-ending to-to-lists is an act of kindness we build in to our Wednesdays as often as we can.
This time is essential to our staff being able to attend to the many different aspects of keeping the largest K-8 school in Vermont humming! We are fortunate to have it as part of our weekly flow, and we appreciate all of you for rolling with the early-release schedule. Looking forward to seeing you all at our winter Open House on Thursday, 1/26 from 5:30-7:00!
Take Care,
Alison, Brett & Emily
Last Call for Late Winter Sports (Volleyball) Registration!
If you have a student in 6th - 8th grade who would like to participate in volleyball, you will need to complete our registration for SCS athletics. In addition, you will need to submit a Wellness Exam - Sports Participation Form if your student has not yet participated in a sport this school year.
The Late Winter (Volleyball) sports season will begin on March 6, 2023 (the day we return from February break) and run until April 7. Student-athletes will not be allowed to participate until their registration and wellness forms have been completed and submitted.
Feel free to check out the SCS Athletics website, as there is a wealth of information available for families. If you have any questions, please reach out to Leigh Petrucelli, SCS Athletic Director.
CVSD January Virtual Town Hall: Strategic Planning
On Wednesday, January 11, at 6:30 pm, we will host our monthly Virtual Town Hall. This month's focus is on Strategic Planning. We'll share updates about current work and drafts of the priorities the steering committee has developed. We will invite input and feedback during and after the Town Hall and will lay out the timeline for the next steps in the process. Please join us! The Zoom information can be found on the Strategic Planning page of our website and on the website calendar.
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.
Taking Things Apart!
Learn how everyday things work through the simple act of taking them apart. We teach
safety and how to use tools, then you dissect real machines with the help of our
friendly engineers and volunteers. Enjoy taking things apart and making a mess at the
library, without getting in trouble. Great for girls! Lead by a female engineer. More info is available here.
Saturday, Jan 21, 2023, 10:30 AM
Pierson Library
Walk to School Day - February 1st, 2023
Sign up for SMS/Text Messages
We try not to overuse this method of communication, but it is helpful for reminders and quick announcements, particularly when bus routes change. Don't miss out!
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
A Message from the Vermont Community Broadband Board
CVSD Budget Development
CVSD invites all community members to learn about and join in on the budget development process by attending upcoming School Board meetings. All members of the CVSD community are always welcome to attend Board meetings. See the topics and schedule on the Budget page of the district's website. Links to join the virtual meetings will be available on that page and on the website calendar. We will also post the presentations on the Budget page afterward for those that cannot attend.
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