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Volume 15, Issue 26

July 7, 2021

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.

Guidance: Federal Funding

Audience: Superintendents, Independent School Heads,Business Managers
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo the Agency of Education has released Memo: New Universal Process for Prior Written Approval to Purchase Equipment Using Federal Grant Funds (7/6).
Contact: Cassandra Ryan at cassandra.ryan@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: Kids and Education July Resources

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS have compiled Vermont PBS Kids and Education: July 2021. This resource is based on the PBS Kids Summer of Possibilities, which provides children with opportunities to play and learn through hands-on activities, games and tips that support literacy, math, science and life skills. Visit the new Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources for summer learning. For more information about the partnership between the Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS, visit the AOE’s Vermont PBS webpage.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org


Other 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.

Adult Education and Literacy Grant Awards Announcement

Through a grant competition held under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Title II, the Vermont Agency of Education has awarded Fiscal Year 2022-2023 grants to the following organizations to provide Adult Education and Literacy services for specified counties: Central Vermont Adult Basic Education – Lamoille, Orange and Washington Counties Northeast Kingdom Learning Services – Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties The Tutorial Center – Bennington County Vermont Adult Learning – Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Rutland, Windham and Windsor Counties Adult Education and Literacy services are available to eligible individuals 16 and older and include academic services that lead to a high school diploma or GED, English language instruction for speakers of other languages, and transition services to college and career. For more information, visit the Agency of Education’s Adult Education webpages.
AOE Contact: Robin Castle, robin.castle@vermont.gov or (802) 828-0508

FY21 Statbook Deployment

Audience Superintendents and Accounting Staff
The FY21 Statbook Data Collection has been deployed. Contacts for the collection should have received an email from Nicole Gray with the needed information on July 1, 2021. The deadline is Deadline: August 17, 2021. 
Contact Nicole Gray at (802) 828-0178 or nicole.gray@vermont.gov 


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.

Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium 2021

Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium 2021 is happening August 4, 2021. The symposium is a day of networking for all interested individuals and groups across Vermont and beyond. This includes VT Suicide Coalition members, providers across health care networks, school staff, other social services providers, individuals with lived experience and anyone who has an interest in learning more to help prevent suicide in our state.
Contact: Catherine Diduk at info@healthandlearning.org

Health Equity State Youth Advisory Group

Vermont Child Health Improvement Program’s (VCHIP) VT RAYS and VT Afterschool are collaborating to create a youth advisory group focusing on health equity in Vermont. They are recruiting youth ages 11-21 for this exciting opportunity. Meetings will be held once a week over six months and youth will receive a stipend. Please share with anyone who works with youth. 
Contact: Brianne Smith at brianne@vermontafterschool.org

Foundations of Experiential Learning

Foundations of Experiential Learning is a semester-long, in-person workshop series with a graduate course option that is designed to prepare, encourage, and inspire middle and high school teachers to take on the challenge of taking their students outside of the traditional classroom. Course takers will participate in all three workshop days, as well as weekly remote learning check-ins.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350

Resetting How Educational Support Teams Function in a Post-COVID Context

There will be a two-day, virtual workshop series on July 28-29, 2021, on Resetting How ESTs Function in a Post-COVID Context. An effective Educational Support Team (EST) functions as a problem solving team able to identify and provide for more individualized interventions without the need for a referral to special education. Determining which students simply need more instructional opportunity vs. something individualized necessitates the careful analysis of assessment data.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350

SoVerA Monthly Meeting - Special Relativity

This month's Southern Vermont Astronomy Group meeting will be a talk by Erik Schmitt, "Special Relativity is Relatively Weird (in a special way)" on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at 7 p.m. EDT. This is a virtual event via Zoom and no registration is required. 
Contact: Margot Schmitt at margot.goodnow@gmail.com or (802) 380-9206

The Keys to Having a Successful Transition to Life After High School for Students with Disabilities – What Parents Need to Know

John Spinney plans to discuss the key items for parents of youth with disabilities to pay attention to in order to foster a positive, meaningful and effective transition to employment, higher education and independent living. Presenter: John Spinney, Postsecondary Transition and Disability Equity Coordinator at the Student Support Services Division, Vermont Agency of Education. July 14, 2021, from 1-2 p.m. Register on the Vermont Family Network website.
Contact: Rachel Boyers at rachel.boyers@vtfn.org


Subscribe Online

The field memo has time-sensitive and relevant information designed for students, teachers, and staff. The agency encourages principals, headmasters, and superintendents to share the memo with their education community. Additionally, individuals can subscribe or unsubscribe online.

Questions? Email aoe.edinfo@vermont.gov.