- COVID-19 Updates and Guidance for Schools
- Other 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.
Memo:COVID-19 Contact Tracing for Fall 2021
The Memo: COVID-19 Contact Tracing for Fall 2021 was released on Friday, August 20, 2021.
Contact: Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov
Vermont PBS: Kids and Education September Resources for Back to School
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS have compiled Vermont PBS Kids and Education: September 2021, which includes resources for back to school, organized by grade band and subject area. This month, join the Vermont Agency of Education, Vermont PBS and GBH Boston for a free webinar, Indigenous Cultural and Informational Text Resources from Molly of Denali. Gear up for the new school year with resources that support diverse cultural awareness and accessing informational text, available free on PBS LearningMedia and all drawn from the animated series, Molly of Denali. Visit the new Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources for back to school. 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.
Save the Dates: Early Childhood Special Education Orientation Series 2021-2022
Audience: Early Childhood (ages 3 through 5) Special Educators, Administrators, Special Education Directors and Coordinators, Related Service Providers, and public PreK General Educators new to their position in the last 2 years.
The Early Education Team is providing free virtual webinars on early childhood special education topics throughout the 2021-2022 School Year. The first webinar, ECSE 101, will be held Friday, September 17, 2021, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Webinars will be recorded and posted for asynchronous viewing. Each interactive session will also include access to free resources. Agenda and Teams link will be sent via list serves the week before each webinar.
Contact: Katie McCarthy at katie.mccarthy@vermont.gov
Math and Literacy Early Learning Networked Improvement Community Opportunity
Audience: all
In collaboration with Doug Clements, Julie Sarama, All Learners Network, and CCSSO, we are in the process of recruiting school teams to join us in a Networked Improvement Community (NIC) to improve early mathematics and early literacy instruction and student learning in PreK-3rd grade. In the NIC, we apply an improvement science approach that focuses on equity by using systems thinking, disciplined inquiry, attention to variation, and practical measures for improvement. Most importantly, we involve those closest to the work (teachers) in the continuous improvement process, and in the co-design and development of positive classroom practices. The culminating goal of the network is to accelerate the learning, spread, and scale of positive practices.
For more information, please contact the NIC hub at aoe.elnichubgroup@vermont.gov or Lori Dolezal at Lori.Dolezal@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.
Substance Misuse Prevention Personal, School and Community Health Concepts
The Substance Misuse Prevention Personal, School and Community Health Concepts course provides a sufficient level of knowledge, skills and resources to teach in a school’s K-12 health education program and prepares professionals to serve as resources for youth, families and school staff. Asynchronous online September 19, 2021-November 5, 2021.
Contact: Catherine Diduk at info@healthandlearning.org
Umatter® for Schools: Virtual Youth Suicide Prevention Training
Umatter® for Schools: Virtual Youth Suicide Prevention Training is a newly designed online training consists of meetings and coursework over 6 weeks. The Umatter® for Schools training is a national best practice program for suicide prevention and was developed by the Center for Health and Learning. The training has routinely been offered to school staff in grades 7-12, this training will also include K-6 specific content. This is a 6 week online asynchronous training from September 29, 2021 to November 10, 2021.
Contact: Catherine Diduk at info@healthandlearning.org
Implementing VTmtss for Student and School Success
Partnerships for Literacy and Learning is pleased to announce our newest NEXIS (Networks for Excellence in Schools) project happening this fall: “Implementing VTmtss for Student and School Success.'' This network, using VT AOE tools and resources, will support Vermont’s multi tiered system of supports (VTmtss) coordinators from across the state as they work to implement the VTmtss framework in their schools and districts. For many schools in Vermont, VTmtss coordination is a new role and therefore we created this NEXIS experience.
Contact: info@pllvt.org or Mary Grace at 802.828.0521
Getting to ‘Y’ training scheduled: October 12 and October 18, 2021
Getting to ‘Y’: Youth Bring Meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey puts Youth Risk Behavior Survey data into the hands of middle and high school aged youth, providing them with skills and opportunities to analyze local data, explore root causes and develop action plans to address concerns and engage with their community to improve youth health, well-being and connection. School or community-based teams can examine local 2019 YRBS data (or other custom data sources) while returning teams can expand their community outreach and action with training and support from UP for Learning.
Contact: Sharon Koller at sharon@upforlearning.org or (802) 373-7594
VSAC Trainings Are Back
The annual Fall Financial Aid Trainings for high school counselors and agency professionals will provide the latest financial aid updates on FAFSA and filing resources, grants, and scholarships—along with updates on key Federal, State and VSAC initiatives to help students, families, and professionals. These trainings will be offered virtually over two days: Tuesday, September 14, 2021 and Thursday, September 23, 2021. Visit the VSAC calendar for details.
Contact: Christopher Barry at barry@vsac.org
US Senate Youth Program “Hearst” Scholarship
The United States Senate Youth Program presents an outstanding opportunity for our best and brightest high school juniors and seniors. Leadership, academic achievement, clear speech and logical thought process and community involvement are the desired qualities for this scholarship opportunity, provided by the Hearst Foundation. A VPA Selection Committee reads and ranks all applications submitted, sets up interviews with the top six candidates and selects the two delegates and two alternates who will represent Vermont. View the USSYP Brochure and the USSYP Scholarship.
Contact: Mallori Longevin at mlongevin@vpaonline.org