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Volume 11, Issue 32

August 10, 2017

Ready for Kindergarten! SY2017 Report

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Kindergarten Teachers
The SY 2017 Ready for Kindergarten! Survey (R4K!S) statewide and supervisory union/supervisory district (SU/SD) report is now available. View statewide and individual SU/SD R4K!S reports online.
Contact: Kate Rogers at kate.rogers@vermont.gov

Mandated Reporting Law Reminder

Audience: All
As a reminder, all staff in all schools are subject to the requirement to make a mandatory report of any suspected child abuse. There are no exceptions. School staff do not have the latitude to independently judge whether a complaint rises to the level of reporting. This determination is made by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). If you reasonably suspect abuse or neglect of a child, report it to DCF. Read more about the mandated reporter law and learn how to file a report with DCF. Read Secretary Holcombe's memo about mandated reporting.

Work-Based Learning Collaborative Learning Group Series

Audience: Superintendents, Principals
Save the dates for the SY 2017 - 2018 Work-Based Learning (WBL) Coordinators’ Professional Learning Series, which will include four sessions.  The first and final sessions will convene for all day in-person collaborative working sessions. The second and third sessions are regional meetings to provide and support the continuous work of WBL groups with local businesses to establish, build, and strengthen WBL partnerships and WBL programs to meet the goals of Act 77 and the Education Quality Standards.  The kick-off meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT. An announcement will be sent out in late-August when online registration is open. 
Contact: Veronica Newton at veronica.newton@vermont.gov or Michael Brownstein at mbrownstein@ccebos.org

Continuous Improvement Planning Workgroup Sessions - Session is Full

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Directors of Curriculum, Educators
The Education Quality Assurance team at the Vermont Agency of Education is offering a free opportunity to engage in a collaborative workgroup series with the purpose of learning and applying the continuous improvement process for developing, implementing, and submitting continuous improvement plans.  There are three sessions in this learning series: September 7, 2017, December 5, 2017, and March 8, 2018. Learn more and register for the Continuous Improvement Planning Workgroup Sessions.
Contact: Josh Souliere at josh.souliere@vermont.gov

Statbook 2017 Data Collection Due August 15, 2017

The 2017 Statbook data collection is due on Tuesday, August 15, 2017. Business managers should have received username and password information to login to our secure server to upload their completed files.
Contact: Help Desk at (802) 479-1044 for application issues and Sean Cousino at sean.cousino@vermont.gov or Alena Marand at alena.marand@vermont.gov for data questions and issues.


Courtesy Postings

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.

Pathways to Promising Careers: Vermont's High-Pay, High-Demand Jobs

Four hundred electricians. More than 1,000 accountants. Nearly 500 software developers. Students may be surprised to learn that these are the kinds and numbers of jobs expected to open in Vermont in a 10-year period. Promising jobs do exist in Vermont; to those with the right credentials. The Vermont Department of Labor and the J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation teamed up to identify and promote over 50 promising jobs and the training and education paths that lead to them. Learn more and request free copies of the Pathways to Promising Careers brochure.
Contact: Carolyn Weir, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, McClure Foundation, at (802) 388-3355 ext. 239 or cweir@vermontcf.org

VSAC is Hiring in Career and Education Outreach

VSAC has two outstanding career opportunities focused on our nationally recognized aspirations mission: 1) manager for the statewide Talent Search program, a federally funded grant program; and 2) an Academic support coordinator to coordinate/implement the GEAR UP program. Learn more about VSAC's career opportunities.
Contact Kirstin Boehm, Director, Career and Education Outreach at boehm@vac.org

You May Have An At-Risk Child if His or Her Family is A Military Family

It is almost certain that one or more students in your school will be affected by military culture. In the coming years, the Vermont National Guard will be faced with increased drill weekends, annual and specialized training in preparation for likely deployments. With this in mind, we would love the opportunity to provide an in-person briefing to discuss techniques that aid military youth in times of transition. For additional support and resources, visit the Family Programs, Child & Youth Program or the National Guard Joint Services Support (register as a community member).
Contact: Brian Stoudnour, Lead Child & Youth Program Coordinator (contractor), at (802) 338-3369, (802) 310-6745 or brian.r.stoudnour.ctr@mail.mil

Communicating School Redesign

Would you benefit from a research-based communications plan in your district to build public understanding and support for school redesign, including flexible pathways and proficiency-based learning? UP for Learning is currently finalizing their Communicating School Redesign cadre of high schools mobilizing youth-adult teams to take on this task in the coming year.
Contact: Karen Scott at karen@upforlearning.org

Books About Vermont's State Animal - The Morgan Horse

Willow Bend Publishing has children's books about Vermont's State Animal - the Morgan Horse.  A series of seven books, the "Morgan Horse Series," is for grades 4-6. The first two titles in the series have won the Children's Choices award from the International Reading Association and the first three books are all in the Accelerated Reader Program offered by Renaissance Reading.  Stories take place in and around Vermont. There is also a book about Justin Morgan, the first Morgan for younger readers, that takes place in Brookfield, Vermont in 1796.
Contact: Ellen Feld at effeld@willowbendpublishing.com


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 Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov.