THE NEWSLETTER
February 10, 2023
SPECIAL MENU FOR FEB 13TH THROUGH FEB 17TH
Monday: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Tuesday: Domino's Pizza
Wednesday: Chicken Caesar Salad
Thursday: Nacho Box
Friday: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
In addition to those items we will have these choices every day....
Turkey Sandwich, Ham Sandwich, SunButter & Jelly Sandwich, Chef Salad and Garden Salad
IT'S TIME TO ORDER YOUR CCS MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARBOOK!
Our 2022/2023 yearbook will arrive at the end of the school year and is a softcover book that includes school photos by grade, staff photos, candids, clubs, sports and other middle school events!
CCS yearbook ONLY features middle schoolers (grades 5-8) with a heavier emphasis on our soon to be graduating 2023 8th graders...but all families are welcome to order one.
Purchase your student’s yearbook here for $28 by February 17th to guarantee a copy at the following link: https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A08744000
All middle schoolers should have access to the CCS yearbook and so if purchasing a yearbook for your child is a financial hardship for your family, please reach out to Betsy Lloyd, CCS School Counselor, (blloyd@cvsdvt.org or 425-6691) so we can make sure they can receive a yearbook too.
Any questions? Please email the CCS Yearbook Advisor, Genevieve Trono at gtrono@cvsdvt.org.
ADMINISTRATION UPDATE
Dear CCS Families, Caregivers and Community Members,
Reflecting on this week three themes come to mind that capture the essence of our CCS community- Celebrations, Safety and Gratitude.
Celebrations:
- February’s School-wide Meeting - The 7th and 8th grade student council led this week’s school wide meeting. The meeting started with a full school game of “Simon Says” and moved into a focus on Black History Month, including statements from Barack Obama and a read aloud of the book Change Sings by Amanda Gorman and Loren Long. See CCS photos of the week for shots of this moment and more!
- National School Counseling Week - CCS is incredibly lucky to have Betsy Lloyd as our school counselor! Snack groups, lunch bunches, individual student support, building a transition plan for our soon-to-be 8th grade graduates and CVU and supporting CCS families are just a few of the things Betsy does each day to support our children.
- TEAMWORK to support K-8 needs - On any given day, we’re juggling staffing to cover absences or duties (Naomi Strada has often figured out many moving pieces before most of us are in the building!). While it might look like a good game of Jenga putting the pieces together, we are always thankful for the “I can help with that '' nature of every staff member in our building. Our pool of parent volunteers is growing and the students are benefitting. An extra pair of hands in the cafeteria, refereeing a snow-soccer game or lending a hand in a classroom, our CCS community is pretty special.
- Acts of Kindness - Our classrooms and staff members have been focusing on acts of Kindness. Kind messages are spread throughout the hallways. Student groups are giving personalized messages out to educators and CCS helpers sharing appreciation.
We wish you all a wonderful weekend,
Jen, Courtney and Beth
The above link will bring you to a page on the CCS webpage and we will do our best to provide regular updates and information regarding PCBs at Charlotte Central School.
PUBLIC SCHOOL THREATS ACROSS VERMONT
At CCS each month, we have two safety meetings. One is primarily an internal team reflecting and refining portions of our day with feedback from a representation of staff. We think about playground safety, staff training for first aid, AED and Stop the Bleed, and assess our monthly safety drills looking for continuous improvement.
Many members of this internal team also serve on an advisory safety committee that has members from our local fire and police departments (VSP, Shelburne). We practice table-top exercises and proactively plan for case-studies coordinating responses. CVSD has a School Safety site for families with additional questions about our layers of planning and support.
SAFETY IN OUR PARKING LOTS
We have received a number of concerning communications about the driving in our school parking lots regarding speed, distractibility, and not following the traffic pattern.
A few important reminders:
- Our buses require space to drop off and pick up students. Be mindful of our dropoff and pick-up windows of time so we can reduce the gridlock or line-ups on Hinesburg Road.
- Please keep your focus on dropping off and picking up your children. If you need to take a call, please park to do that.
- Please decrease your speed when entering and navigating our parking lots.
- The main parking lot in the front of the building is a ONE-WAY traffic pattern, west to east.
- The east parking lot is a ONE-WAY traffic pattern, entering via the ramp and exiting through the eastern side of the main entrance (Mt. Philo side).
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
February 1st through February 24
2023 and 2024 Kiondergarten - see below for more details
Wednesday, Feb 15
Early Dismissal, 1:40 start loading buses, 1:50 car pick up begins. AM & PM, please do not enter the front parking lot until all of the buses have departed.
Wednesday, Feb 22
Early Dismissal, 1:40 start loading buses, 1:50 car pick up begins. AM & PM, please do not enter the front parking lot until all of the buses have departed.
Friday, Feb 24
CCS Spelling Bee, MPR, 8:30 - 9:30
Monday, Feb 27 through Friday, March 3
NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
Friday, April 14th
Wizard of Oz - more information to follow
Saturday, April 15th
Wizard of Oz - matinee and evening show; more information to follow
END OF DAY PLANS
All students are expected to be picked up by 3:00 or to ride the bus home. The only exceptions are a student who is:
- participating in a recreation program that begins immediately after dismissal
- is on a CCS athletic team sport that is practicing immediately after school
- Participates in a CCS sanctioned supervised enrichment program
- Has confirmed permission to wait in a supervised location before their practice
- Is registered in Part2
MATHCOUNTS REGIONAL COMPETITION UPDATE
Congratulations to the Charlotte Central School Mathcounts team for competing in the regional competition the past Saturday at UVM. They worked hard, as a team to solve challenging math problems during the deep freeze. If you see them, please congratulate them on their hard work.
Pictured from left to right are Seba Ziegfinger, Mateo Ziegfinger and Maz Fairweather.
BASEBALL COACHES NEEDED!
CCS Baseball is searching for a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach for the spring season. The season starts on April 10th and runs through the end of May. If you are interested and want to know more about these positions, please email CCS Athletic Director, Nicky Elderton, Nelderton@cvsdvt.org. Please spread the word about this open position to any person that you think would potentially be interested.
CCS Baseball Families,
I want to reach out to everyone to give you an update on the coaching search for CCS Baseball. The job posting was put out to the public three weeks ago and I have received zero applications. Please spread the word that we are looking for a coach this spring. I have used the connections I have within the baseball community to find a potential lead for a head coach this spring. The issue is that this coach would not be able to get to CCS until 3:30 each day. The team is also looking for an assistant coach. Someone who could start practice and help out with the day-day operation of running a team.
I am hoping that we can find a solution because the boys are excited for the season. If there is nobody willing to coach and fill the role this year, I am not 100% sure at the moment what we will do as a program. I just want to be transparent with all of you and hopefully we can find a solution!
Thank you,
Nicky Elderton
SAFETY AND EXPECTATIONS AT VERMONT ATHLETIC AND CO-CURRICULAR EVENTS
Message from the Vermont Principals Association: We would like to once again emphasize that middle and high school sports are educational and are for the benefit of the student-athletes. Spectators that cannot behave appropriately can be barred from events and can face criminal charges. We ask all attendees at these events to please behave in an appropriate manner.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE CVSD SCHOOL BOARD?
The CVSD School Board is seeking an interested Charlotte community member to serve on its board for a three year term beginning March 2023. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact the Charlotte Town Clerk's office (802-425-3071) to learn the correct method to run as a write-in candidate on the Australian ballot on March 7, 2023.
VAPING PREVENTION CAMPAIGN LAUNCH!
We are excited to announce our CVSD and Connecting Youth Vaping Prevention Campaign. Aligned with the VT Department of Health's Prevention Week, we will share the attached campaign announcement through our district wide newsletter to faculty and staff next week.
With this announcement, we are revealing two video assets that will act as key tools for partners to support the campaign:
- Vaping Campaign Announcement.pdf
- "Let's Talk About Vaping" - Informational video for educators and caregivers
- "Up In Smoke" - Student video
CELL PHONES USAGE AT SCHOOL
Years ago, as a district, we agreed the K-8 schools would adopt Away for the Day. Cell phones and earbuds are not allowed to be used by students during the school day at CCS without staff permission. Students are asked to keep all phones in their backpacks. I ask that you reinforce our expectations by refraining from texting/calling your child during the school day. Students have access to school phones to call home with permission and when it won’t interfere with their engagement in learning. If you need to reach your child about changes in their end-of-day plans, please call our main office at 802-425-2771.
**Caregivers play a major role in the relationship teens have with digital technology. UW School of Medicine and Public Health study Caregivers are encouraged to talk with your child about their cell phone use: what have you noticed about their relationship with their cell phone? What content are they accessing? Is their digital technology usage interfering with balanced sleep, exercise, meals, hobbies/interests? Do they understand expectations about cyber safety, digital citizenship and pitfalls of social media?
23-24 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION FEBRUARY 1 THROUGH FEBRUARY 24
Calling all 5-year-olds! Kindergarten Awaits!
Charlotte Central School will be opening their 2023-2024 Kindergarten Registration for the school year starting February 1st, 2023. Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) is asking families to register their Kindergartners by February 24th, in an effort to get more accurate enrollment numbers for our schools. These enrollment numbers help us to plan our staffing and scheduling needs for the upcoming school year.
For Charlotte Central School, contact Naomi Strada (nstrada@cvsdvt.org or 802-425-6600) to pre-register your child for the 2023-2024 school year if they will turn 5 years old by September 1, 2023.
Naomi will need:
a) child's name
b) date of birth
c) parent's / guardian's names
d) Charlotte address(es)
e) phone number(s)
f) email address(es).
After you have indicated that you will be sending your child(ren) to CCS, Naomi will email instructions so you can register your child online through our PowerSchool Parent Portal. The Kindergarten page on the Registration section of the district's website provides more information.
After this is completed, more detailed information on kindergarten registration dates / visits will be forthcoming in the spring.
CVSD STRATEGIC PLANNING - DRAFT PLAN ELEMENTS AND SURVEY FOR FEEDBACK
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 the January Virtual Town Hall, and then use this form to share your thoughts. Please contribute your input by March 3. Thank you!
2023 SUMMER CAMPS
This list of summer camps is provided as a convenience to Charlotte families. CCS does not endorse any particular camp but provides the list as informational only.
Jazz Jivin' Summer Camp - June 26 - 30, Isham Family Farm. Available for rising 5th through 9th graders. More information and registration at willistoncommunitytheatre.com. $25 discount if registered by February 15th.
ABOUT US
Jen Roth, Lead Principal, Grades K-6
Courtney Krahn, Assistant Principal, Grades 7-8
Beth Slater, Director of Special Services
The Newsletter is published every Friday, when school is in session. It is delivered to our families via email, posted on our website, and on Front Porch Forum. A hard copy is available by contacting the school.