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An Official Vermont Government Website

Volume 11, Issue 24

Weekly Field Memo
June 14, 2017

Register For a Vermont State Plan Educator Information Session

Audience: All
The AOE will be holding a series of State Plan information sessions for educators throughout July.  These sessions are meant to provide educators with information about the State Plan and to give them a chance to reflect on what the Plan will mean for their practice, along with how they might share session information with their colleagues.  Individuals and SU/SD “teams” are welcome  All sessions will cover the same content; topics will include how the State Plan connects with multiple existing state policies and initiatives, academic performance measures, long-term and interim academic goals, N size and its implications for Vermont, and anticipated continuous improvement supports. Register online for the State Plan informational session. The registration window will close on June 30, 2017.
Contact: Chris Case, Education Project Manager, (802) 479-1179 or chris.case@vermont.gov

Meal Charge Policies/Procedures

Audience: Principals, Superintendents, Food Service Managers and Directors, School Nurses, Guidance Counselors
USDA requires all school food authorities operating federal meal programs to have a written and clearly communicated meal charge policy or procedure to address unpaid meal charges in place by July 1, 2017. This Unpaid Meal Charge Policy/Procedure must explain how the SFA will handle situations where children eligible to receive paid meals do not have money in their accounts or on hand to cover the cost of the meal at the time of service. The policy/procedure must be implemented and enforced SFA-wide, however, discretion may be used to vary the policy/procedure based on student grade level. This policy/procedure must be provided in writing to all households at the start of each school year and to households that transfer into the school district.  It must also be provided to all staff who are responsible for enforcement. The Agency of Education has created a Meal Charge Policy memo and template for SFAs to use to develop their policies/procedures. SFAs are also required to develop a policy/procedure for managing the delinquent debt when it becomes uncollectable and becomes classified as bad debt. The USDA has also provided the handbook, “Overcoming the Paid Meal Challenge."
Contact: Laurie Colgan at (802) 479-1187 or laurie.colgan@vermont.gov

Count of State Placed Students Data Collection for the 2016-2017 School Year

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Special Education Coordinators, Business Managers
This school year’s count of state placed students report will be used in finalizing the ADM census report in fall 2017. After the last day of the 2016-2017 school year, it’s recommended that your school representative complete SPS Form 1. The State Placed Student Data reporting form and a memorandum with instructions are located online. Deadline for submission is July 14, 2017. 
Contact: Cathy Scott, Grants Administrator, at (802) 479-1249 or cathy.scott@vermont.gov

Licensing Updates

Audience: Vermont Educators
The Educator Quality Division is currently recruiting educators to act as a panelist on our Peer Review Panels, Transcript Review Panels and Results Oriented Program Approval (ROPA) college/university teacher education preparation program reviews. Please review the Recruiting for Peer Review Activities and Teacher Preparation Program Review Teams memo and complete the prequalification form if you are interested in being included in our database of available educators.
Contact: Peer Review Program contact wendy.scott@vermont.gov, ROPA contact linda.mcsweeney@vermont.gov and Transcript Review contact debora.price@vermont.gov

Gallup Student Poll: Measure What Matters for Student Success

Audience: Administrators, Teachers
The Gallup Student Poll is designed to aid educators in providing a more focused education -- one that builds engagement, creates hope for the future, fosters talent and prepares students to participate meaningfully in our nation's economy. The core items on the Gallup Student Poll measure and provide actionable data on four dimensions of student success: Engagement, Hope, Entrepreneurial Aspiration, and Financial/Career Literacy. The web-based survey is administered in the fall of each school year and supplies teachers, administrators, and community leaders with actionable and malleable data. The Gallup Student Poll takes between 10-15 minutes for most students to complete. U.S. schools may participate at no cost.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons, Proficiency-Based Learning Team Leader, at (802) 479-1425 or pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov

Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K Introductory Training

Audience: Pre-K Teachers, Administrators
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is an assessment tool and professional development system that measures the interactions in classrooms and helps teachers improve those interactions. It is recommended by the Vermont Agency of Education and is used as part of the Vermont Step Ahead Recognition System (STARS). The free one-day workshop will give you an overview of what CLASS measures and how it helps to improve interactions in ten different dimensions, including Behavior Management, Concept Development, and Language Modeling. There will be six sessions offered on Saturdays in July and August throughout the state.  Register for the CLASS PreK Introductory Training.
Contact: Ellen Cairns at (802) 479-1443 or ellen.cairns@vermont.gov

Register for Child Nutrition Programs Summer Institute

Audience: School Food Service, Administrators, Principals, Business Managers, Nurses, Farm to School Coordinators, Child/Adult Care Providers
Registration for the Child Nutrition Summer Institute is now open.  This year’s Summer Institute will take place at St. Johnsbury Academy from August 7-11, 2017.  This year we are offering over 50 half-day, full-day and multi-day classes. You may register for just one class, a whole day, or multiple days.  The registration deadline for most classes is July 26, 2017, however, the deadline for some classes (including the New Manager’s class) is June 30, 2017.  Early registration deadlines are noted in the class descriptions.  
Contact: Cheryl Rogers, (802) 479-1360 or cheryl.rogers@vermont.gov

Emergency Training Video: How to Respond to a Multiple Casualty Incident

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, School Crisis Planning Team Members
The How to Respond to a Multiple Casualty Incident facilitated dialogue is designed to initiative a conversation with school crisis planners about how your school would respond to a multiple casualty incident. The exercise will help you become more familiar with existing emergency preparedness plans, policies and procedures.
Contact: Rob Evans, Margolis Healy, at revans@margolishealy.com

Crisis Text Line available in Vermont - Text VT to 741741

Audience: All
Vermonters who are experiencing a mental health crisis now have a new way to find support when and where they need it, 24 hours a day. Crisis Text Line™ provides free*, round-the-clock support, seven days a week by providing access via text messaging to trained Crisis Counselors at the moment help and support are needed. This service is being provided through a partnership between the Vermont Department of Mental Health and the national organization Crisis Text Line. This is a welcomed key addition to the other mental health services available for Vermonters to access when circumstances or events become difficult to handle. Learn more about the national Crisis Text Line™organization. Read the press release about Vermont's Crisis Text Line for more information. *for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile carriers; all others carriers may charge rates
Contact: Melissa Bailey, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, at (802) 241-0122 or melissa.bailey@vermont.gov

Vermont Jump$tart Coalition's Annual Educator Conference

The Vermont Jump$tart Coalition asks you to save the date for the Vermont Jump$tart Coalition's Annual Educator Conference. This year’s meeting will take place at the Davis Center on UVM’s campus on Friday, November 3, 2017. More details will follow soon. 
Contact: Dylan Giambatista at dylan.giambatista@vermont.gov 

VCSEA New Leadership Academy

Audience: Special Education Administrators, Principals, Superintendents
The VCSEA New Leadership Academy is a professional development program supporting special education administrators new to administration. The cohort model provides academic and practical instruction in areas important to success a special education administrator. Participants have the opportunity to share experience, expertise, and support within a collegial model. The Vermont Agency of Education collaborates with VCSEA to present and co-facilitate a number of Academy topics. The Academy is designed for new special education administrators who are currently in an administrative role and are in their first two years of leadership. Enrollment is limited to 15; others will be considered on a space available basis upon recommendation of current administrators. Learn more and register for the VCSEA New Leadership Academy. The Academy registration is open until filled but preference is given to those who register by June 28, 2017.
Contact: Ashley Farnham-Bell at abell@vcsea.net

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.

Vermont Superintendents Association -- Superintendents Leadership Academy 2017/2018

Registration is now open for the Vermont's Superintendents Leadership Academy.  The Academy is a professional development program for education leaders interested in exploring the superintendency as part of their career pathway.  The Academy provides context for the work of the superintendent and supports knowledge and skill development in key responsibilities of the superintendent position. Learn more and register Superintendents Leadership Academy.
Contact: Jeff Francis, Executive Director, at jfrancis@vtvsa.org

Vermont School Boards Association seeks Director of Board Education Services

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA), a non-profit membership organization serving Vermont’s school boards, is seeking a Director of Board Education Services to join our high-energy team.  This position will be the lead in creating and implementing a comprehensive school board development program to orient new school board members and support long-term members in fulfilling their duties. This position will primarily provide direct service to local boards, delivering educational opportunities and facilitation services in multiple settings and through varied media.  The position involves substantial evening work. Learn more on about the Director of Board Education Services position.
Contact: Kerri Lamb at klamb@vtvsba.org

Reflective Practice and Developing a Peer Review Portfolio

The Reflective Practice and Developing a Peer Review Portfolio course supports and guides educators pursuing initial licensure or adding endorsements to their Vermont teaching license. Participants need to be in a school setting for student teaching will not be arranged through this course.  As part of this course, participants examine the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards (Vermont Core Teaching Standards) and content endorsement standards and develop an electronic portfolio demonstrating their competency on each standard through the collection of artifacts and a written commentary that describes, analyzes and reflects on the evidence.  Learn more about the Reflective Practice and Developing a Peer Review Portfolio course. Register for the Reflective Practice and Developing a Peer Review Portfolio.
Contact: Juliette Longchamp, VT-NEA, at jlongchamp@vtnea.org

Lawrence W. O'Toole Teacher Leadership Awards

Do you know a New England educator who has worked to advance student-centered approaches to learning? Nominate that educator for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation's Lawrence W. O'Toole Teacher Leadership Awards today, to help them win $15K.
Contact:  Ellen Wang, Program Officer, at ewang@nmefoundation.org

Trauma of Poverty

This 36-hour course focuses on defining, identifying, and understanding poverty-related stress in childhood development, behavior, and learning. Participants will develop working understandings of 1) the extent of childhood poverty in Vermont and the US and the variety of relationships and connections between childhood poverty and trauma 2) the potential impacts of adverse childhood events (ACE’s) and other traumas focusing on learning, behavior, and child development 3) how to develop and generate trauma-informed learning environments and practices and 4) self-care strategies for working with trauma in schools and stress management strategies. The course will be held at the Stern Center for Language and Learning in Williston from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with dates between July 10, 2017 and November 9, 2017. Register for the Trauma of Poverty course.
Contact: Caitlin Niland, Intake Coordinator for Professional Learning, at (802) 878-2332 or proflearning@sterncenter.org

Leading Vermont Schools

The fourth principal cohort of Leading Vermont Schools will be starting August 10, 2017. They meet one a month throughout the school year for a great day of "Understanding the Principalship" learning, connecting with the experts, books and meals included. Our cohorts love the colleague support, the connections, the content. CVEDC and Jay Nichols (VPA Director) have now served 35 area principals.  Four graduate credits are available through St. Michael's College.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at (802) 497-1642 or lauren@cvedcvt.org

Making Media Portfolios, Proficiencies and Personalized Learning

Join educators for the Create Make Learn Summer Institute for either the two-day or five-day options using WeVideo to support add media to portfolios, provide evidence of proficiencies, or create personal narratives as part of student's personalized learning plan. The five-day option includes a media kit with popup green screen, tripod, and mount.  Sessions will be held the week of July 31, 2017.  Participants will receive graduate credit. Housing options are available.
Contact: Lucie deLaBruere at ldelabruere@gmail.com

Vermont Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program: Fall Workshops

The workshop "Meeting the Auditory, Speech, and Language Needs of School-Age Children with Hearing Loss" will meet at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier, VT on September 28, 2017. Speech and hearing professionals are encouraged to attend. Two workshop sessions will be held will be held on November 9, 2017 for special education directors, 504 coordinators, special educators, parents and related organizations. The morning session is "Navigating the Minefield:  How to Avoid the Hidden Legal Risks in Educating Children with Hearing Loss". The afternoon session is "Literacy Instruction for Children with Hearing Loss." Both will be held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel.
Contact: Susan Kimmerly at skimmerly@9east.net

Family Engagement in Windham County

The Family Engagement Conference is for educators, community service and health care providers, families and community leaders. The conference will be held September 19, 2017 in Brattleboro, Vermont, and is free to those who work or live in Windham County.
Contact: Catherine Diduk at catherine@healthandlearning.org

Complex Trauma in Our Schools

Save the date for the Complex Trauma in Our Schools, a four-day training on complex trauma in our schools, using non-verbal communication and intervention for improved classroom outcomes. This is a 3-credit graduate course. The training will be held October 14, 2017, November 11, 2017, December 1, 2017, and January 26, 2018. The location is to be determined. 
Contact: Catherine Diduk at catherine@healthandlearning.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 Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov.