- 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.
Updated Memo: COVID-19 Prevention Measures for Fall 2021
The Memo: COVID-19 Prevention Measures for Fall 2021 was updated on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, to extend universal masking recommendations to October 4, 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. 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.
The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21C) Grant Application
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21C) Grant Application is now open for the purpose of providing high-quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities. Investments are for five years. Applications are due February 4, 2022 in the GMS system. E-Letters of Intent are due November 24, 2021. Virtual applicant trainings for teams will be held on Oct. 13 and Oct. 19, 2021 (part 1 repeated) and Oct. 28, 2021 (part 2) from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. To view a paper copy of the grant application go to the AOE 21C webpage. You may also view the 21C quick eligibility checker.
Contact: Emanuel Betz, 21C State Coordinator, at Emanuel.Betz@vermont.gov 802-828-6977
Annual Education Technology Survey
Audience: Education Technology Directors, Superintendents
The Annual Technology Survey is required of all Vermont schools to collect important data about many aspects of the education technology landscape in our schools. The survey is now open and the deadline to respond is September 30, 2021. The AOE requests that the survey be answered to the best of the ability of each school. The survey is structured to enable a supervisory union or school district representative to complete data for multiple schools in one form. This information is used by legislators, as well as state and local policymakers and may be referenced in both state and national press with regards to Vermont’s status around education technology.
Contact: Lisa Helme at lisa.helme@vermont.gov
Congressional App Challenge
Audience: STEM educators, Computer Science teachers, Principals
This computer science competition is designed to encourage more middle and high school students to study STEM and coding. Individual students or groups of up to four may design an app. The app can be on any theme or topic and can be created using any programming language or platform. Each app is judged within their respective congressional district and the winners’ apps are displayed nationally at the Capitol. New and experienced coders are encouraged to participate. Apps created after November 9, 2020 are also eligible so long as they are submitted by November 1, 2021. For more information and to register, go to Vermont Congressman Peter Welch’s website.
Contacts: Fauna.Hurley@mail.house.gov or Derrick.Blackwell-Hunt@mail.house.gov
Free Webinar: Indigenous Cultural and Informational Text Resources from Molly of Denali
Audience: PK-5 Educators
Gear up for the new school year with resources that support diverse cultural awareness and accessing informational text, available free on PBS LearningMedia. Molly of Denali, the PBS KIDS’ award-winning series, follows the adventures of curious and resourceful 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl who lives in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska. Join the Vermont Agency of Education, Vermont PBS and GBH Boston for a deep dive into the Molly of Denali supplemental resources centered around teaching young children how to access and create informational text while exploring aspects of Alaska Native culture and values. Featured educator presenters will share their favorite Molly of Denali resources on PBS LearningMedia and help you integrate them easily into your existing curriculum. You will leave this webinar with very specific strategies and resources you can use immediately. Register now to attend this live webinar on Wednesday, September 29, from 7-8 p.m.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org
Fall 2021 Indicator 13 Training Series
Audience: Special Ed Directors and High School Special Educators
The Agency of Education is announcing an upcoming Postsecondary Transition Training series (Indicator 13). The series will be available statewide for all special educators, special education administrators, and other related staff members to attend. While each session is available to all supervisory unions/districts (SU/SD), some sessions will be required of districts in most direct need of that support. Each SU/SD that is required to attend a certain training day will receive a follow-up communication indicating which training days are required. The topics of the series were identified based on the data collected through the LSED process, review of submitted transition plans, the submission of technical assistance requests, and conversations with administrators and special educators. In order to meet the need identified the AOE has identified the following topic areas: Transition Assessments on Sept. 28, 2021 from 3-4:30 p.m.; Postsecondary Goals and Annual Goals on Oct. 19, 2021 from 3-4:30 p.m.; Peer Learning Session on Oct. 26, 2021 from 3-4:30 pm.; and Statewide Training (All elements) on Nov. 9, 2021 from 3-4:30 p.m.
Contact: John Spinney at john.spinney@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.
Pullman Porters: Unsung Heroes offered by Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
During this live, virtual, standards-based program, students in 6 - 8 grade 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 the Hildine School Programs website.
Contact: Diane Newton at newton@hildene.org or (802) 367-7965
Coding, Science Cafes, Youth Environmental Summit and More!
UVM Extension has a lot of FREE programs available to students this Fall. Check out our offerings at our 4-H Announcements page. Youth can learn to code, engage with scientists, explore environmental issues, train to teach environmental lessons to younger students and more.
Contact: Lauren Traister at Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu or 802-888-4972 x 402
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
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
Professional Learning: NGSS Science
Registration is open for Creating Equitable Science Classrooms that Accelerate Achievement. This one-day workshop, facilitated by Liz Mirra, supports science teachers K-12 in exploring strategies for increasing student engagement in science, will use examples of 3-dimensional learning aligned to the NGSS and discover ways to maximize rigor and critical thinking. A key focal area will be learning how to maximize instructional time and monitoring student achievement. October 5th, 2021 from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Delta Conference Center. Breakfast and Lunch are included.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642
Event: Social Justice Does Not Just Live in Our Content, It Lives in Our Methods
Cornelius Minor returns to Vermont for 3 virtual sessions with Partnerships for Literacy and Learning. We are fortunate to have Cornelius back on September 23, October 28 and December, 16, 2021 from 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. "Social Justice Does Not Just Live in Our Content, It Lives in Our Methods” is the topic and quite pertinent to K -12 work this year. To learn more and register for this series, visit our event page.
Contact: info@pllvt.org or Mary Grace at 802.828.0521
John Dewey Conference: Learning to Do and Doing to Learn
Teachers, librarians and other educators are invited to attend a conference on the work of Burlington's own John Dewey, the foremost educator of the early 20th century. This event will be held at the University of Vermont October 8-9, 2001. Conference highlights include papers on Dewey’s work and its relevance today, Dewey Kitchen Symposium, School and Society Forum and keynotes by early childhood educator Mariana Souto-Manning, president of Erikson Institute, and by civics and social justice educator Meira Levinson, professor of education at Harvard University. Learn more and RSVP using this form.
Contact: Simon Jorgenson at Simon.Jorgenson@uvm.edu or call 513-349-6540
School's Out(doors): Place-based Education Responds to COVID-19 and Beyond
School's Out(doors): Place-based Education Responds to COVID-19 and Beyond is a free publication designed for those seeking to provide healthy learning spaces, understanding of equity issues, social-emotional development, and mutually beneficial relationships with local communities. For those who already have the expertise, but want to build more financial, administrative, or school board support for PBE programs, the booklet summarizes several talking points with links to current and time-tested research evidence as well as contact information for local PBE leaders.
Contact: Joan Haley at jhaley@shelburnefarms.org or (802) 457-3368 x244