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.
Special Education Advisory Panel Seeks New Members
Audience: All
The Special Education Advisory Panel is required in each state under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Vermont's panel is currently in need of several roles to be filled, including teachers, a representative of a state agency involved in financing or delivery of related services, a representative of an independent school, a representative from juvenile or adult corrections, as well as two individuals living with a disability. For more information, please visit the State Special Education Advisory Panel website.
Contact: Katie Ballard at Katie.Ballardvt@gmail.com or (802) 324-7931
Growing Works of Art Contest
Audience: Vermont Students Grades Kindergarten-8
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is celebrating Arbor Day, a day to appreciate trees and the difference they make in our lives. We invite students to celebrate by creating a piece of tree art and writing. This year, the Growing Works of Art contest theme is “Share your TREE-mendous Story!” One winner from each grade (K-8) will be featured on the WCAX television show “Across the Fence” and receive a Vermont State Park pass. Deadline to enter is March 11, 2022. For more information visit the conference webpage.
Contact: Rebecca Roy at rebecca.roy@vermont.gov or (802) 522-0780
Vermont PBS: February Resources to Celebrate Black History Month
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for February 2022. Celebrate Black History Month with resources from PBS Parents and PBS Learning Media. Other topics of interest include social emotional learning for students and teachers, being outside, current events and climate change. Plus, check out the research report about how Molly of Denali can help teach children to use and create informational text. We will continue to update 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
Save the Date: Vermont BEST/VTmtss Summer Institute
Audience: School teams of Educators, Caregivers/Family Members, Students and Community Stakeholders
Save the date for the BEST/VTmtss Summer Institute, which is being held from June 27 to June 30, 2022. Registration materials will be posted online by March 7, 2022. This year’s theme is “Reclaiming our Passion for Education: Ensuring Safe and Nurturing Environments for our Students and Ourselves.” The BEST/VTmtss Summer Institute provides opportunities for school teams of educators, caregivers/family members, students and community stakeholders to share and learn strategies for improving and strengthening the systems, data and practices within Vermont’s multi-tiered system of supports (VTmtss). This year’s Summer Institute is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of you and your school teams in a retreat-like experience. We acknowledge the challenges of the last couple of years and have embedded opportunities for self-reflection, experiential learning and various wellness experiences. In addition to a week of high-quality professional learning, participants will have several options to collaborate and share best practices with schools across the state. You and your school teams will find time to play, laugh and celebrate each other and the work you do every day to support your students. At this time, we are planning to hold the event in-person at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and will follow all recommended COVID-19 safety guidelines. We’ll let you know this spring if any changes are anticipated due to COVID-19 concerns.
Contact: Meg Porcella at meg.porcella@vermont.gov or Anne Dubie at anne.dubie@uvm.edu
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.
Partnerships for Literacy and Learning: Consider Creating A Custom NEXIS
Our current Ignite - Level 1 and Engage – Level 2 VT Multi-tiered System of Support sessions are full. One school district claimed all the spots and has a team of 14 working through this MTSS process with our NEXIS facilitator, Audrey Richardson. If you’d like to create a custom VTmtss NEXIS experience, reach out to Audrey at audrey.richardson@pllvt.org. If you don’t have a group for a custom NEXIS, we’ll be offering this again in the spring, with dates to be determined soon. Details can be found on the VTmtss NEXIS Offerings page at PLL’s website.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521
802 Ed Newsletter
Join 1,000+ readers of the 802 Ed Newsletter, a biweekly roundup of what's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice. Visit our webpage to view previous issues and sign up.
Contact: Steven Berbeco at steven@802ed.com
Pullman Porters: Unsung Heroes offered by Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
During this live, virtual, standards-based program, students in grades 6-8 discover the critical role that Pullman Porters played in giving rise to America’s black middle class, the formation of the black labor movement and the momentum for the civil rights movement. For a complete program description visit our learning programs webpage. Program is available winter through spring. Fee: $4/student.
Contact: Diane Newton at newton@hildene.org or (802) 367-7965
Professional Learning: Embedding Digital Citizenship Instruction Across Curriculum
American high school students struggle to accurately vet news stories and other digital content. The solution to this challenge is teaching students digital literacy skills earlier than we might expect. Digital citizenship is a term that describes what it means to be a critical thinker, a respectful communicator, a responsible creator and a positive member of an online global society. VT-HEC invites Arlyn Bruccoli to help 3rd - 8th grade educators start to embed digital citizenship instruction across their curriculum in this two-day webinar on Feb. 9 and Feb. 16, 2022, from 4-7 p.m.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350
Professional Development: "Analyzing Propaganda and Teaching Media Literacy: The Holocaust as a Case Study"
Registration is now open for Vermont Holocaust Memorial’s Educators Workshop, facilitated by Echoes and Reflections, taking place in Burlington on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Teachers will gain tools to facilitate classroom discussions on the role and impact of Nazi propaganda during the Holocaust and support their students to critically analyze media in today’s world. Certificates of completion will be awarded at the end of the workshop. Added this year, a first look at Wiesenthal Center’s “Courage to Remember” traveling exhibit. Enrollment is limited. Registration deadline is Feb. 28, 2022. For more information and to register, visit Vermont Holocaust Memorial - 2022 Workshop.
Contact: Debora Steinerman at info@holocaustmemorial-vt.org
Professional Learning: Fundations® Level 3 Workshop
Registration is open for Fundations® Level 3 Workshop, offered on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. This professional learning workshop is offered through the Stern Center for Language and Learning. Fundations® workshops 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
Chinese Language and Culture Online Summer Programs
Add Chinese language and culture classes to your Summer 2022 programming. SPIRAL International is offering live, online Mandarin classes and interactive cultural activities for summer camps. Half-day programs are designed for grades 4-8 and are organized by weekly themes. Sign up for one or multiple weeks. Start and end dates are according to your camp’s schedule.
Contact: Sydney Estey-Dedell at programs@spiralinternational.org
Creating Capacity for Engagement in Equity Work in a Predominantly White Learning Environment: An Online Graduate Course
On March 2, 2022, the Castleton University Center for Schools will offer a graduate-level course titled Creating Capacity for Engagement in Equity Work in a Predominantly White Learning Environment. Instructor Madison Akin is a long-time school counselor and a Coordinator for Dismantling Inequity in Education. This course is for PreK-12 and post-secondary educators, school staff and administration working in a predominantly white community who want to engage in learning about inclusion, representation and advocacy in a divided political climate. Participants will learn how accurate historical content supports positive identity, acceptance of self and others, anti-bullying, consent and advocacy skills. Participants will learn skills to communicate this with a variety of stakeholders.
Contact: Tara Lidstone at cfs@castleton.edu or (802) 345-0092
All Learners Network: Math Intervention for Interventionists and 5-8 Teachers
The workshop, Math Intervention for Interventionists and 5-8 Teachers, will be held virtually, on Zoom, on March 10, 2022 from 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. As the pandemic draws on, everyone is concerned about our most vulnerable students. Drawing on his 30 years in schools, education research and experience as a math leader in the U.S. and abroad, All Learners Network Founder John Tapper will facilitate an engaging virtual learning experience aimed at 5-8 intervention.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com
Earn a Teaching License and Master's Degree in One Year: Online Information Session
Saint Michael’s College is offering a competitively priced Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program that provides both one and two-year options. It is designed as a fifth-year initial licensure option for undergraduates, as well as a stand-alone licensure and master’s degree program for those seeking a career change. For licensed teachers, the MAT offers additional endorsements in special education and English language learners (ELL). Learning opportunities include multiple field placements, diverse opportunities to explore progressive educational practices, a rigorous course sequence and a collaborative cohort model. The program culminates in a transformative capstone experience. The MAT offers initial licensure tracks in art, elementary, middle, secondary and special education with the option of pursuing additional endorsements (such as early childhood education). For more information, please join us for an online information session at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7, 2022. Please go to our Graduate Events webpage to sign up.
Contact: Claudine Bedell at cbedell@smcvt.edu or Amy Saks Pavese asakspavese@smcvt.edu
Dental Careers in Vermont
A career in dentistry can be a great choice for students who are interested in health and science and looking for a career path that has a great growth forecast. The multiple career options in dentistry with varying educational requirements offer something for everyone. Whether students are interested in becoming dental assistants, dental hygienists or dentists, this dental health workforce brochure can serve as a starting point to explore these well-paying, portable positions. Please help us grow the dental workforce in Vermont by making students and adult learners in your community aware of these great career options. If you have any questions or would like copies of the brochure, contact Jenny Pitz, the Vermont State Dental Society Recruitment Manager.
Contact: Jenny Pitz at jenny.pitz@vsds.org