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Volume 12, Issue 23

June 6, 2018

Applications for Vermont's School Safety and Security Grant Program

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, School Board Members, Independent School Headmasters, School Tech Leaders
Applications are open for Vermont’s School Safety and Security Grant Program. All schools are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance their school emergency preparedness initiatives.  Awards of up to $25,000.00 per school are available and each school is required to provide a 25 percent match to the grant amount. In order to be eligible, schools must submit a complete application to DPS.SchoolSafety@vermont.gov by Friday, June 29, 2018 at 3 p.m. EST.  Notice of awards will be issued to schools by August 1, 2018.
Contact:  Richard Deschamps at richard.deschamps@vermont.gov or (802) 244-8727

AOE Annual Technology Survey Open

Audience: Principals, School Technology Leaders
The required annual technology survey is open for all schools submissions. The survey contains questions related to three main topic areas: Internet access, one-to-one computing, and cloud storage. This survey is important to help the AOE keep abreast of the status of education technology in schools. This is required for all public schools and includes all CTE centers. Please be sure someone in the school (or someone knowledgeable on local technology specs) takes the survey by June 30, 2018. A list of survey questions for preview purposes is available on the Agency's website. The survey should take no more than 20 minutes to complete.
Contact: Peter Drescher at peter.drescher@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1169

Teaching Mathematics to All Students

Audience: PreK-Grade 6 Educators, Special Educators, Mathematics Coaches and Administrators
In order to make mathematics accessible to all students, educators need a strong mathematical background. Mathematical Coherence in the Elementary Grades is intended for all PreK-6th grade teachers to deepen their mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge. Mathematical Coherence in the Elementary Grades is designed as a one-course experience or as a companion to Dr. John Tapper’s "Math for Struggling Learners" course being offered across Vermont. This course is based on the current research on the teaching and learning of early number concepts, additive, multiplicative and fractional reasoning. Teachers will deeply explore the mathematics content related to these topics, the intimate relationship among them, and the important pedagogical strategies and skills educational research suggests can have a strong impact on student learning. Teams of teachers including regular and special educators, coaches and/or interventionists are especially encouraged to attend. This course will take place June 25 -29, 2018 from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m. at the A.D. Lawton School in Essex Junction. For inquiries or to register, contact vmi@uvm.edu.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1425

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Course for Educators

Audience: Vermont Educators
Vermont’s popular fish and wildlife summer course for teachers and other educators will be held July 15-20, 2018 at the Buck Lake Conservation Camp in Woodbury. This hands-on field course gets educators out into Vermont’s streams, forests and wetlands with some of the state’s leading natural resource experts takes place Now in its 33rd year, “Wildlife Management and Outdoor Education Techniques for Educators,” is a one-week, three-credit graduate course taught by Vermont Fish & Wildlife and other Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) staff through Castleton University. Tuition is $650 including, books, food and overnight facilities. A limited number of partial scholarships are available. For course information, schedule of activities, and registration information, email Alison Thomas.
Contact: Alison Thomas at alison.thomas@vermont.gov

Orientation and Resources for New School Nurses

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, and School Nurses 
All Registered Nurses (RN) new to school nursing in Vermont are required to take the New School Nurse Orientation program online. This is a prerequisite for the Licensed School Nurse or Associate School Nurse endorsement. To register for the free online orientation, please contact Sharonlee Trefry, MSN, RN, NCSN, State School Nurse Consultant.  Additionally, the University of Vermont, AHEC Program is offering a free supplementary in-person training, August 15, 2018 in Burlington. Registration ends June 29, 2018. To register for the in-person training, contact Cynthia Kline at cynthia.kline@med.uvm.edu or (802) 656-9294.
Contact: Sharonlee Trefry at sharlonlee.trefry@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.

KidSafe Collaborative:  Volunteer & Community Service Opportunities

Volunteers are needed for the 15th Annual KidSafe Community Yard Sale which takes place August 11 and 12, 2018, at the Champlain Valley Exposition. The event is a child abuse and neglect prevention program fundraiser as well as an environmental service to keep quality items out of the landfill. It takes over 100 volunteers to make this huge event happen. There are tasks for students and adults and the event is appropriate for community service and graduation credit.
Contact: Ruth Baldasty at ruthb@kidsafevt.org or (802) 863-9626

Office of Special Education Programs Virtual Symposium

The next  U.S. Department of Education OSEP Virtual Symposium will be held on Monday, June 18, 2018. This will be a live webcast, held 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. A recording of the symposium will also be available after the event. The topic of this symposium is supporting high-quality special education services to children with disabilities by addressing the capacity needs of educators, Individualized Education Program teams, and administrators to develop and implement quality IEPs.
Contact: U.S. OSEP at osep-meeting@air.org, or (800) 872-5327

Fully Funded US UK Cybersecurity Exchange Program

Registration is open for the Future Cybersecurity Leaders Exchange Program from July 20 through August 2, 2018. This two-week program is sponsored by the US Embassy in London. The program will host 16 (eight American and eight British) 16- and 17-year-olds in Boston, MA, in Burlington, VT at Champlain College, and in Washington D.C. The program will provide a hands-on introduction to a range of cybersecurity challenges and ensure participants receive a high level and well-rounded look at cybersecurity, including ethics, privacy concerns and alternative viewpoints. The students will also explore U.S. public and private sector approaches to cybersecurity and will attend an 8-day residential 'summer camp' in Vermont with a focus on practical training and collaborative skill-building activities. The application deadline is June 10, 2018. Participants must be 16 or 17 years of age during the program time frame. For accepted students, all expenses (travel to, from, and during the program as well as lodging, food, instruction) are paid.
Contact: Adam Goldstein at agoldstein@champlain.edu, or (802) 651-5950 

Three-Dimensional Science Learning Workshop and Course

What does real engagement with the NGSS standards look like in a classroom? This interactive series focuses on NGSS’s scientific practices of developing and using models, engaging in argumentation, and constructing explanations.  Participants will engage as adult learners with science content to learn and practice the pedagogy shifts in the NGSS. In addition, participants will see classroom examples of modeling, argumentation and constructing explanations in practice and will immediately be able to apply the new knowledge to classroom practices.  This five-day Science Series takes place at Williamstown Middle/High School from July 30 to August 3, 2018. Participants can choose to earn two graduate credits or 32 professional development hours for their attendance. For more information or to register, visit the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative website.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org, or (802) 498-3350

Reading Levels Professional Development Workshop

Level Up Your Reading Conferences will take place August 14, 2018. This one-day workshop is designed for K-8 Teachers interested in better understanding their readers and how characteristics of text levels can be used in K-8 conferences. Pam Foust and Sarah Miller will co-facilitate this exploration, and rather than focusing on text levels as labels, participants will consider how these levels can help readers grow. The book: Fountas and Pinnell: Literacy Continuum is included, or if participants already have the text, the cost is reduced.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org, or (802) 497-1642

2018 Flynn Center Summer Arts Literacy Institute

With this year's theme of "Expression and Equity" at the core, the 2018 Flynn Summer Arts Literacy Institute from August 14 to 16, 2018 will be an interactive exploration of the historic Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte; an African-American Heritage Trail site and ArtPlace America grant awardee. The institute is designed to support individual professional development plans and teaching artists' professional learning through the hands-on presentation of model arts integration sessions that support K-12 students' development of skills across the curriculum. The institute is led by nationally recognized leaders in arts and education; Lincoln Center Education's Dacia Washington, Harvard Project ZERO's Aysha Upchurch, and the Flynn Center's Susanna Olson. Tuition: $650 institute or $1050 institute and two graduate credits. Participants who register online by July 15, 2018 can save $100.
Contact: Lauren Genta at schoolprograms@flynncenter.org, or (802) 652-4548, ext. 4

Virtual Learning Collaborative Announces Collaborative Diploma Program

The Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative (VTVLC) is excited to announce the availability of the new Collaborative Diploma Program (CDP) offered as a flexible pathway toward graduation. This new program allows students in tuition towns the option of earning their high school diploma from either South Burlington High School or Enosburg Falls High School during this initial launch period.
Contact: Jeff Renard, Director at jrenard@vtvlc.org or (802) 885-8331

Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators 2018-19 New Leader Academy

The Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators (VCSEA) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for its annual New Leader Academy. The Academy is a professional development program supporting special education administrators who are new to the field of administration. The Academy uses a cohort model and provides academic and practical instruction in an array of skill and knowledge areas important to success as a special education administrator. The cohort model ensures that participants have the opportunity to share experience, expertise and support in a collegial model.
Contact: Lori Tourville at ltourville@vcsea.net or (802) 595-5799

Scholarships Availible for the UVM Summer Academy 

As the college admissions process becomes increasingly competitive, high school students everywhere are seeking opportunities to distinguish themselves and exhibit their ambition and academic talent. The UVM Summer Academy can help high school students showcase their potential and stand out amongst their peers. Summer Academy also provides high school students with the opportunity to earn three college credits and learn from distinguished UVM faculty, while gaining first-hand experience of campus life.
Contact: Katie Albee at learn@uvm.edu, or (802) 656-2085


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.