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Volume 12, Issue 12

March 21, 2018

IDEA B Grant Application

Audience: Special Education Administrators, Superintendents, Principals, Business Managers
The Agency of Education is seeking public comment on the state's annual Vermont Part B Federal grant application, which guides supports and services for students aged 3-22 who have, or are at risk of having, special needs. The annual Vermont Part B Federal grant application is now posted for 60 days for public review. As required, the Agency of Education will be accepting public comments for the 30 days from March 18, 2018 to April 18, 2018. Comments and questions can be sent to Cindy Moran, State Director of Special Education by email or US mail.
Contact: Cindy Moran at Vermont Agency of Education, 219 North Main Street, Suite 402, Barre, Vermont 05641 or cindy.moran@vermont.gov

Vermont Regional School Calendars for 2018-2019

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Headmasters, Regional Technical Center Directors, Curriculum Directors
Vermont statute, 16 V.S.A. §1071 (e), requires that superintendents of schools and regional public school principals and headmasters meet before April 1, 2018 and by majority vote, establish a uniform calendar within that area for the following school year. The calendar needs to include student attendance days, periods of vacation, holidays and the requisite five teacher in-service education days. Please send approved regional calendars electronically to Allison Keating at the Agency of Education no later than April 1, 2018.
Contact: Allison Keating, at (802) 479-1855 or allison.keating@vermont.gov

Sexual Health Professional Development Workshops

Audience: Health Educators, School Counselors, School Nurses, Other Educators Interested in Improving Their Skills in the Classroom or When Working with Parents
On May 18, 2018, the Agency of Education will be hosting two half-day workshops in Burlington, VT, designed to increase the quality of sexual health education being provided in Vermont. The free workshops will run concurrently from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Workshops will be limited to 40 participants. Workshop A: Skills Building for Quality Sexual Health Education: This workshop will focus on three of the six core skills needed to effectively facilitate sex education. This workshop does not include information on content such as birth control methods, STDs, healthy relationships, etc. Educators are strongly encouraged to brush up on their content knowledge prior to participating in this workshop. Workshop B: Training of Trainers (TOT) for Implementing Parent Workshops: This TOT will prepare attendees with everything they need to successfully implement a parent education workshop developed by Vermont sexuality education experts. You do not need to be a sexuality expert to teach this workshop, you just need to be willing to lead parents in how to have conversations about relationships, health, and human sexuality with their children. Register for Sexual Health Professional Development Workshops.
Contact: Tom Aloisi, M. Ed., Adolescent Health Program Manager at (802) 479-1869 or Thomas.Aloisi@vermont.gov 

PreK and Kindergarten Conference

Audience: Administrators, PreK and Kindergarten Teachers
Save the date for this year’s Kindergarten Conference – "Tapping the Joy of Learning for Each and Every Child...The Sweetness of Success "– scheduled for Friday, April 6, 2018 at the Hilton in Burlington, Vermont. Conference organizers are joining with the Pyramid Model Consortium, an internationally recognized professional learning center, to collaboratively develop a conference focused on equity that will celebrate work happening in Vermont as well as provide opportunities to learn from national experts. We are also pleased to announce that Rosemarie Allen, an educational leader for over thirty years, will be our keynote speaker. Her life's work has centered on ensuring children have access to high-quality early childhood programs that are developmentally and culturally appropriate. Learn more about the PreK and Kindergarten Conference workshop sessions. Register online for the PreK and Kindergarten Conference.
Contacts: Pat Fitzsimmons at (802) 479-1425 or pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov or Kate Rogers at (802) 479-1454 or kate.rogers@vermont.gov

Sign up for STEM/STEAM Newsletter

Audience: Educators, Curriculum Coordinators, Principals, Extended Learning Providers
The Agency of Education Proficiency-based learning team will be publishing a STEM/STEAM newsletter. The newsletter will feature resources, news, stories from the field, and upcoming events all around STEM and STEAM education. The newsletter will be published several times per year. Sign up for the STEM/STEAM Newsletter.
Contact: Greg Young at greg.young@vermont.gov

Vermont Proficiency-Based Learning EdCamp

Audience: All
EdCamp is a free professional development unconference. The model is used around the world to bring together educators to talk about what matters in school today. Learn more about the EdCamp story. Participants create the day's schedule together in the morning, shaping the content and outcomes as a group. Anyone can present or facilitate a conversation. Sessions are driven by participant interest, passion, and curiosity, with a focus on peer-to-peer sharing. Professional learning hours certificates will be provided for all participants. Students are welcome. The EdCamp will be focused on Proficiency-Based Learning and will be held April 19, 2018 at Poultney HS from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The theme will be getting proficient about proficiency. What does your school or district need in moving along the continuum of a proficiency-based system? Are you starting with why? Seeking feedback on the What, Where, or How? Bring ideas and insights about what you need to move your work forward. Learn more and register for Vermont Proficiency-Based Learning EdCamp. Additionally, EdCamp VT will be holding their annual EdCamp at the Centerpoint School in Winooski on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Sessions on proficiencies are welcome. To learn more and register for April 14, 2018 visit the EdCamp Vermont website and see the courtesy posting below. 
Contact: Members of the Proficiency-Based Learning Team: Greg Young at greg.young@vermont.gov, Margaret Carrera-Bly at margaret.carrera-bly@vermont.gov, or Emily Titterton emily.titterton@vermont.gov

Vermont Food, Farm and Nutrition Data Harvest

Audience: Principals
School principals are invited to participate in the Vermont Food, Farm and Nutrition Integration Data Harvest, a project to support the Vermont Farm to School Network, and expand and deepen Farm to School programs across Vermont. Your school’s participation in the Data Harvest is an integral part of gathering the program data necessary to inform our ability to better serve Vermonters. Participants will be entered into a raffle for a chance to plant a school garden with Governor Scott. Survey information was emailed to all Vermont principals, and are due early April.
Contact: Ali Zipparo, Vermont Farm to School Program Manager at Agency of Agriculture, at Alexandra.zipparo@vermont.gov

Asthma Friendly Schools Award to Recognize LEAs

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Teachers, School Nurses and Staff
The electronic application for the recently announced Asthma Friendly Schools Awards is now available online. Please be sure to have your applications submitted by the April 13, 2018 deadline. This award is a result of a collaboration between the Vermont Department of Health’s Asthma Program and the American Lung Association to recognize Local Education Agencies (LEAs) who can demonstrate the highest commitment to improving and maintaining asthma-friendly policies and practices in their schools and promoting good asthma management among their students. The maximum award will be $2,000 for up to three LEAs and distributed in an award ceremony in May during National Asthma Awareness month.
Contact: Alex Crimmin, Health Education Coordinator at the American Lung Association in Vermont, at (802)876-6861 or Alex.Crimmin@Lung.org

#802phonesdown!headsup! PSA Videos Contest

Audience: High School Teachers & Principals, Tech School Teachers and Principals
In conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance (VHSA) is excited to announce the #802phonesdown!headsup! video public service announcement contest. The contest is open to high school students and is designed to encourage young drivers, friends, and peers to avoid distracted driving. The first-place winner will be awarded $750; second place $500; and third place $250. 
Contact: Evelyn McFarlane, coordinator VHSA, at  evelyn.mcfarlane@vermont.gov


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.

Humanities Camp

Apply by Friday, March 30, 2018 to host a Humanities Camp this summer. The Vermont Humanities Council (VHC) offers grants for week-long camps for at-risk middle school students. Two school staff design the camp curriculum around the chosen theme, using gift books for all participants provided by VHC, and lead the day camp at your school. This “immersion” experience in the humanities and creative arts can be a powerful intervention.
Contact: Ali Palmer, Vermont Humanities Council, at (802) 262-1352 or APalmer@vermonthumanities.org

Reading and the Brain

Humans are not hard-wired for reading, and yet many young children learn how to read at a basic level by the end of first grade. This interactive graduate-level course is designed for elementary and middle school educators who wish to learn about the brain basis of reading and the implications of reading research for improving classroom instruction. Learn more and register for Reading and the Brain.
Contact: Caitlin Niland, Intake Coordinator for Professional Learning, at (802)878-2332 ext 320 or cniland@sterncenter.org

Differentiation through Math Menu

This summer course taught by Christian Courtemanche, focuses on differentiation, reframing Tier I math instruction using a 'centers' approach to teaching and restructuring your math block to allow for small group and individualized lessons. Includes two texts and three St. Mike's grad credits. Location: CVEDC Classroom, Colchester, VT. June 25-28, 2018. Learn more and register for Differentiation through Math Menu:  Meeting the Needs of all K-6 Students.
Contact: Champlain Valley Educator Development Center at info@cvedcvt.org

Flynn Adult Saturday Sing Class

Join Flynn Center Teaching Artist Stacy Chadwell for six weeks of singing for the joy of it on Saturday mornings March 24 - May 5, 2018 from 9-10 a.m. Musical selections range from fun, upbeat, pop songs to classic favorites from the standards. This class is especially welcoming to first-timers. Register for Flynn Adult Saturday Sing Class.
Contact Sarah Caliendo, FlynnArts Manager, at scaliendo@flynncenter.org

EdCamp VT: Teacher-Driven Professional Development

EdCamp is a free professional development unconference. The model is used around the world to bring together educators to talk about what matters in school today. Learn more about the EdCamp story. Participants create the day's schedule together in the morning, shaping the content and outcomes as a group. Anyone can present or facilitate a conversation. Sessions are driven by participant interest, passion, and curiosity, with a focus on peer-to-peer sharing. EdCamp VT will have free breakfast, lunch and coffee, and offer certificates for PD hours. To learn more and register for April 14, 2018 visit the EdCamp Vermont website.
Contact: EdCamp services at edcamp@centerpointservices.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.