Volume 15, Issue 50

December 22, 2021

COVID-19 Updates and Guidance for Schools
- Holiday Vaccination and Testing Clinics
Agency of Education and State of Vermont Updates
Courtesy Posts

COVID-19 Updates and Guidance for Schools

This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains updates to COVID-19 guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education released since the last Weekly Field Memo and other COVID-19-related updates. For a complete list of AOE-issued guidance, please visit our COVID-19 Guidance for Vermont Schools and Continuity of Learning websites. For the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the COVID-19 response in Vermont, visit the Health Department's Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) website.

Holiday Vaccination and Testing Clinics

Yesterday, Governor Phil Scott announced an expansion of COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics for the holidays. To read more, view the press release.
Contact: AOE COVID-19 Response Team at AOE.vaccine@vermont.gov

Agency of Education and State of Vermont Updates

This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains posts from the Agency of Education and other State of Vermont agencies that are not specifically related to the COVID-19 response.

Happy Holidays and Thank You to Vermont Educators!

Audience: All
As the holiday season is upon us, please view this message from the Secretary of Education, Dan French and the 2021 Vermont Teacher of the Year, Sue Rosato.
Contact: Dan French at AOE.EdInfo@vermont.gov

Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, School Crisis Planning Team Members
On Jan. 12, 2022, from 12-3:30 p.m., the National Threat Assessment Center will be hosting an encore performance of their latest study, Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools. Register online on the United States Secret Service event page.
Contact: Robert L. Evans, VT School Safety Liaison Officer, at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448

New Edmodo Resources

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Tech Directors, Curriculum Directors, Teachers
Visit the AOE’s updated Edmodo web pages to access new resources like the Group Creation Guide, which explains how Edmodo Groups function, how to create groups for members of your district or school, how to create state-level groups, how to make groups discoverable to members of your school, district or the statewide VTED Learns Network, how to invite members to be part of your group, and how to join groups created by others. You’ll also find instructions on how to access materials from the Professional Development Quick Start Series; information about Edmodo activities, apps, and games; and the link to create your own Edmodo account.
Contact: Sigrid Olson at sigrid.olson@vermont.gov

Parent, Family and Community Engagement Webpage

Audience: Administrators, Home School Liaisons, Families
The Addison Central School District (ACSD) website is featured as a Family and Community Engagement Highlight. Exemplars of Two-Way Communication, Sharing Power and Responsibility and Community Engagement embedded in 'ACSD Parents’ section includes Community Resources, which provides a comprehensive list from counseling opportunities to the community bus schedule. Other resources that strengthen family engagement include communication tools, engagement opportunities and a section on social-emotional learning. Additional new resources for educators and families on the AOE Parent, Family, and Community Engagement webpage include SEL VT, a free virtual platform with resources for understanding healthy social-emotional learning (SEL) and building SEL skills and monthly resources from the Vermont AOE and PBS Partnership, as well as resources for families and educators from other Vermont organizations.
Contact: Nancy Hellen at Nancy.Hellen@vermont.gov

2022 Federal NSLP Equipment Grants Open

Audience: Business Managers, Food Service Directors
2022 Federal NSLP Equipment Grants are now open, with applications due Feb. 28, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. We will be using AOE’s electronic Grants Management System (GMS) to accept applications, make the grant awards and process reimbursements. This system is already familiar to business managers, as it is used for many other AOE grants, however, it may be new to Food Service Directors and Independent Schools. To access the grant application, please visit the Grants Management System. If you are new to the system, the NSLP Equipment Applicant Manual has instructions on how to set up an account and use the system to apply. While there have been many COVID-19-related funding opportunities this year, the NSLP Equipment Grant is available for items that aren’t necessarily COVID-19-related. We encourage you to maximize your federal funds by applying for this grant to cover a non-COVID-19-related equipment need. Awards will be announced by April 1, 2022. The State and Federal equipment grants will be open at the same time. A piece of equipment can only receive funding via one of these grants. If applying to both grants, make sure that each request is for a different piece of equipment. More information about Child Nutrition Program grant opportunities can be found on our School Lunch and Breakfast webpage.
Contact: Conor Floyd at conor.floyd@vermont.gov

2022 State Equipment Grant, Round 2, Open

Audience: Business Managers, Food Service Directors
The AOE is now accepting applications for the second round of the 2022 State Food Service Equipment Grant through the AOE’s Grants Management System. This is a 50% matching grant available to all School Food Authorities (SFAs) of up to $7,000 for an SFA-wide piece of equipment (e.g. POS system, application software) or up to $3,500 for a piece of equipment for a school site. All types of equipment are eligible, except for small items that cost less than $200. Schools that have a high free and reduced percentage and have not been awarded this grant in the past three years will receive a higher score. Schools that are starting a new lunch or breakfast program, or are applying to purchase POS systems or application process software (that do not already have this technology in place) will also receive higher scores. Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2022. Only the Authorized Representative (usually Superintendent) of your SFA is authorized to agree to Assurances and Submit this application to AOE in the Grants Management System, so please allow enough time for this person to agree to the assurances and submit the application. Awards will be announced by March 1, 2022. The State and Federal equipment grants will be open at the same time. A piece of equipment can only receive funding via one of these grants. If applying to both grants, make sure that each request is for a different piece of equipment. More information about Child Nutrition Program grant opportunities can be found on our School Lunch and Breakfast webpage.
Contact: Conor Floyd at conor.floyd@vermont.gov

Local Foods Incentive Grant Applications Open

Audience: Business Managers and Food Service Directors
The Baseline Year grant application of the Local Foods Incentive is now open. Applications are due by Jan. 15, 2022. Applications should be submitted through this Local Foods Incentive Grant Application form. Additional information and resources can be found under the Child Nutrition Programs Grant Opportunities section of the School Lunch and Breakfast page.
Contact: Conor Floyd at conor.floyd@vermont.gov

Public Comment Period: Vermont School Counseling Framework

Audience: Superintendents, Principals/CTE Directors, School Counselors, School-Based Clinicians, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, Flexible Pathways Coordinators, Special Education Administrators, General Public
The Agency of Education (AOE) and the Vermont School Counselor Association (VTSCA) are requesting public comments on the proposed “Vermont School Counseling Framework.” The framework was developed by VTSCA. Comments will be used to inform modifications to the framework which will then be considered for adoption by the AOE. Commenters are directed to this form to submit comments. The comment period is open from Dec. 15, 2021 to Jan. 15, 2022.
Contact: Jay Ramsey at jay.ramsey@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: December Resources to Celebrate Winter and School Vacation

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for December. This month, celebrate winter and school vacation with activities and resources to send home with students. Other topics of interest include social-emotional learning, VPR podcasts about Latin American music, recycling laws and Abenaki people in Vermont today. We will be updating this webpage monthly, so check back often to find new featured resources related to monthly themes and organized by grade band and subject area. Also, visit the Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources. To share resources and network with colleagues, join the Vermont PBS Educational Resources group on Edmodo. Activate your Edmodo account and join the VTED Learns community by filling out this form.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org

Courtesy Posts

The views, opinions and resources shared in this section of the WFM are solely those of the original contributors. The Agency of Education does not endorse the views expressed by these contributors and reserves the right to refuse submissions. Questions related to any of these resources should be directed to the organizations, people and opportunities as shared. Please refer to the Weekly Field Memo submission guidelines for additional information.

Professional Education: Deeper Learning Course

Registration is open for Inquiry Into Deeper Learning at the Upper Valley Educators Institute. Deeper learning describes approaches to teaching and learning that seek to make learning both personally and cognitively engaging, with the goal of fostering in-depth understanding while increasing relevance, authenticity, engagement and intellectual rigor for students. In this 2-3 credit course educators will create and teach a backwards-designed, project-based unit with an explicit focus on deeper learning of content and skills important to students. Begins in January 2022.
Contact: Kristen Downey at kristendowney@uvei.org or (603) 678-4888

Deadline Approaching to Nominate a K-12 School Employee for the LifeChanger Award

LifeChanger of the Year wants to know about Vermont K-12 educators who are making a difference in students' lives. All school/district employees are eligible to win one of 18 awards and cash prizes up to $10,000, as long as they are nominated before Dec. 31, 2021. Your nominee will also be sent a congratulatory certificate and poster, a holiday card with a personalized message from you, and a $25 donation to an education nonprofit in their name. Learn more and make your free, simple nomination by Dec. 31, 2021, by visiting the award's webpage.
Contact: Ashley Chiu at achiu@strykermunleygroup.com

Professional Education: Leadership Series 2002

Registration is open for the 2022 Leadership Series at St. Johnsbury Academy Adult Education. Many teachers and professionals are wanting to improve their skills in conflict management, lead through change and guide high performance in times of uncertainty and stress. Through this series, you’ll gain the tools to build trust, promote teamwork, improve communication and move your school forward. These are active, in-person courses, taught by Dr. Martha Dubuque, who has over 30 years of educational leadership. Begins in January 2022.
Contact: Sandra Mings-Lamar at smingslamar@stjacademy.org or (802) 748-7738

Professional Learning: Fundations® Workshops

Registration is open for Fundations Workshops, offered on Saturdays in January and February 2022. These professional learning courses are offered through the Stern Center for Language and Learning. Fundations teaches the foundational skills and significantly supports reading, writing, speaking and language standards found in states’ rigorous college and career-ready standards. The program addresses all five areas of reading instruction with an emphasis on systematic phonics and word structure. Visit the course page to register. Grant funding is available.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org

Middle Grade Conference: Equitable Learning for Young Adolescents

The 2022 Middle Grades Conference will be fully online Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The conference showcases middle grades practitioners, teacher educators and researchers who are focusing on equitable learning for young adolescents. The featured keynote will be “Unconditional Positive Regard: A Powerful Equity Stance” by Alex Shevrin Venet, author of Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education. This year’s conference is free and has been shortened to acknowledge that educators are working overtime while still in a pandemic. Please visit the conference page to register and review the spotlighted presentations. A detailed conference program will be available in early January 2022.
Contact: James Nagle at jnagle2@smcvt.edu

Free Reiki Open House for Teachers

A free reiki open house for teachers will be held on Jan. 12, 2022, from 3 p.m.-8 p.m., at the Quality Inn at Quechee Gorge. Complimentary 15 – 20 minutes Reiki sessions are offered on a first come first serve basis. Light refreshments and childcare will be available. For planning purposes, please register to attend this free event. View more details on the Upper Valley Reiki & Holistic Arts webpage.
Contact: Darlene Bailey at darlene@darlenebailey.com or (603)-523-7772

A Reminder That It's Never Too Late To Save for College or Training

Vermont’s state-sponsored 529 education savings plan is designed to help families save for education after high school, including college, graduate school, training programs and apprenticeship opportunities. Savings can help pay for tuition, fees, housing and other training expenses. Remember, VT529 savings deposited by Dec. 31, 2021 qualify for a 10% VT income tax credit for 2021.
Contact: Stephen Mease at mease@vsac.org

Partnerships for Literacy and Learning is Excited to Present: NEXIS: Coaching Forums – Developing Literacy Expertise in our Schools

Coaching in schools can be challenging in terms of having a "team", yet, one of the most urgent priorities for Vermont is to close the achievement gaps for our neediest students while still propelling all students to learn as much as they can. Literacy Coaches play a critical role in this hard work and the Coaching Forums give coaches support and assistance. NEXIS: Coaching Forums – Developing Literacy Expertise in our Schools will have an in-person class on Jan. 31, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and virtual classes on Zoom on March 14, April 25 and May 16, 2022, from 1-3 p.m. Registration and more details can be found on the coaching forum page.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521

Announcing Topic for Hildene Lincoln Essay Competition 2022

Every year, Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, runs the Lincoln Essay Competition for Vermont’s eighth-graders, dividing the state into four competitions. Students are invited to answer the following prompt: What gives YOU hope? Identify a challenging issue facing humanity today, whether at the local, state, national and/or global level. Express why this issue matters to you. Investigate a scientific, legislative, technological, or other type of solution that is currently being proposed or employed to address the issue. Explain what it is and why it holds promise as part of the solution to the problem. First place winners receive $500, second place $400, third place $300, and up to four honorable mentions of $200 each which the judges may choose from anywhere in the state. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 12, 2022. Please visit our webpage to identify your contest entry region and to find a complete application packet (including important guidelines and tips).
Contact: Stephanie at stephanie@hildene.org or (802) 367-7960