THE NEWSLETTER
January 13, 2023
NO SCHOOL MONDAY, JANUARY 16TH, IN OBSERVANCE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
NEW YEAR - NEW NOTES
A new year (2023) comes with a need for all families and caregivers to submit new notes about end-of-day plans for kids. Anything that was sent from August through December will be recycled and we will start the redocumentation of after school plans. Too many documents we were holding onto were no longer relevant and we need to have the most up-to-date details so we can get everyone to the right place after school. The easiest way to submit this is by emailing Cindy claware@cvsdvt.org and your child’s classroom teacher with all plans. Thank you for understanding this process and reaching out with any questions to Cindy.
ADMINISTRATION UPDATE
Dear CCS Families, Caregivers and Community Members,
As a learning community, we welcome all of you and appreciate your contribution to the current state and future of Charlotte Central School. Our building is filled with learners from kindergarten to eighth grade with a variety of interests, passions and curiosities. They each bring their own unique journey in life with ideas of who they are and who they want to become.
One year ago, we asked families to tell us about their hopes for CCS and the experiences we should prioritize for kids. From the survey responses, CCS developed some goals to work on in planning school year 22-23. The implementation of these experiences aligned to some of your hopes are captured below:
Provide opportunities for students in the older grades to connect with younger students.
*We are holding monthly school-wide morning meetings with each grade-level taking a turn to host.
*Some Omega students are reading with youngsters weekly. Others are bringing a book to the cafeteria, reading it to each table.
*Students in grades 7/8 are creating projects with the intent to give back, be generous and compassionate and by brightening the experience for others.
Kindness, Compassion and Inclusivity is what the world needs. Nurture generosity and giving back to the community.
*With your support, we sponsor food-drives in November and December to support our broader community.
*Individual bonds have been developed between students in the primary grades and middle school.
Enrichment opportunities so kids can pursue their passions and stay connected to peers.
At this time, the majority of our afterschool programming is designed for students in 5-8th grade.
*expanded opportunities in co-curricular activities: soccer, cross country, ultimate frisbee, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and track and field.
*MathCounts and Lego Robotics clubs.
* A spring theater production is in the works with Director, Alex Hudson meeting with students today.
We are honored to have family and community members seeking opportunities to enhance the experience and wellbeing of the children. Thank you to those who have reached out to either work or volunteer at CCS to enhance our learning community. Are you interested in ways to engage in our community of CARE:
Mentor for a youth in our school. We have an ever-growing list of students who wish to spend one hour a week with someone who will hold them with unconditional positive regard.
Join us for a PTO meeting- during the winter months, we meet in the morning. During the fall and spring, we will meet in the evening.
Check the newsletters and classroom blogs for celebrations and upcoming events. Our goal in these communications is for you to have insight to what students are experiencing here.
Have ideas about an enrichment club for after school? Let us know.
Send some positive vibes to the people who keep our school running behind the scenes- our bus drivers, administrative assistants, the cafeteria staff, our maintenance crew, our nurses and all of the educators of CCS.
Thank you for your continued support, inspiration and partnership in raising these wonderful humans.
Have a safe and joyful weekend,
CCS Administration
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday, Jan 16
NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Tuesday, Jan 17
Budget Development Meeting - Final Approval & Warnings. See below for meeting details.
Wednesday, Jan 18
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, Jan 20
Town Party & Community Dinner - see below for more details.
Wednesday, Jan 25
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 1
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 8
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.
8th Grade Family Night, CVU Gym, 6:30 - 7:45
LOST AND FOUND
RECESS GEAR REMINDER
All grades will go outside for recess year round unless it is a steady rain, thunder and lightening or below zero.
Now that Winter has arrived, please make sure your child(ren) has the following each day:
* Warm Jacket * Snow pants (optional for Middle Level) * Mittens/Gloves * Hat or Hood * Snow Boots
TOWN PARTY & COMMUNITY DINNER - ALL OF CHARLOTTE IS WELCOME!
To quote a line that needs no introduction, “There’s no place like home.”
What are the many and varied reasons you love this place we call home?
What drew you here and why do you stay?
We want to hear from you! As we consider the future of our beloved little town, there’s never been a more important time to share our thoughts on what matters to each of us. Please save the date and join us for chili, cornbread, and pie (provided!), live music, and community conversation about our special little town. Community Heart and Soul is a grassroots effort to unite all voices of the community toward a collective future. Let’s gather to share a meal and start the conversation by sharing what we love about Charlotte.
All are welcome- young, old, and everyone in between. Teens, please bring your Charlotte friends!
When: January 20, 2023, Doors @ 5 PM, Conversation @ 5:30
Where: Charlotte Congregational Church
Why: To activate our community and our voices in support of Charlotte’s future
Who: All of us
RSVP: CharlotteCommunityHands@gmail.com
For more information on Community Heart and Soul in Charlotte please reach out to us at CharlotteCommunityHands@gmail.com
PRESCHOOL LOTTERY IS NOW OPEN FOR 2023-2024!
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. (Note: Any Charlotte drawn eligible students would attend classes at the Hinesburg Community School.) 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. Our curriculum is based on the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS).
Our programs follow the CVSD school calendar. Children who will be age 3 or older by September 1, 2023, who have not enrolled in kindergarten, and live in the communities of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston are eligible to enter the lottery. Families who are selected for the lottery and choose to enroll their child in a CVSD program access their Act 166 publicly funded pre kindergarten funds for the school-based program.
All applications must be received by February 3, 2023, and are located on the CVSD Early Education website under 2023-2024 Preschool Lottery . Paper applications are available upon request.
For additional information, questions about our program, or any concerns about your child’s development, please visit our website or contact Director of Early Education, Erin Gagne at egagne@cvsdvt.org. Our Early Education team is also available for developmental screenings in the areas of communication, social-emotional development, motor skills, adaptive development, and cognition.
INTRA-DISTRICT K-8 SCHOOL CHOICE
Children entering grades preK-8 who live in the towns of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George and Williston may exercise school choice. Our goal is to both allow options for families and also make balanced class sizes to provide a positive learning environment for all of our children. Processes for intra-district choice of school will be guided by the needs of students, space availability, and existing resources. Given this, we will work to meet as many families’ needs as possible. Guidelines and Application
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE SMS/TEXT MESSAGES!
Please enroll to receive text messages from the district and our school. If you haven't done this yet or if you are new to CVSD, follow the easy steps on this flyer. We don't overuse this method of communication, but it is helpful for reminders and quick announcements. Don't miss out!
LET'S TALK!
Last March, the school district softly rolled out a new communication tool called Let's Talk. Let’s Talk makes it easy for parents, students, staff, and community members to ask questions, request information, and share feedback. Over the summer, we added topics for each of our schools. See this blog post to learn more and view a short video that explains how easy it is to use Let's Talk.
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.