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Volume 12, Issue 3

January 17, 2018

USDA Food Accounts for School Meals Programs

Audience: Superintendents, Business Managers, School Food Service Managers
With various school district mergers and changes taking place, now is a good time for schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program to review their USDA Foods ordering process.  USDA Foods (formerly known as “commodities”) are the foods that the federal government supplies to support school meals programs in addition to cash reimbursement.  Some School Food Authorities (SFAs) have consolidated the ordering process for USDA Foods to one account for the entire SFA.Others continue to maintain individual ordering accounts for each site. AOE Child Nutrition Programs encourages the consolidation of USDA Foods ordering to one account per SFA where possible.  This can save significant staff time during the ordering process. Ordering for next year’s USDA Foods deliveries will take place between January 29 and March 16, 2018, so any account changes for next year should be made now.
Contact: Rosie Krueger at mary.krueger@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1246

Vermont Professional Learning Network Opportunities

Audience: All
In April and June 2018, join internationally-acclaimed education scholar Andrew Hargreaves for a two-part series that will show educators how collaborative professionalism—the way teachers and educators work together—can build strong teacher teams and boost student engagement. Register for the Andrew Hargreaves Expert Series. In May, Allison Zmuda, an education consultant specializing in student-centered learning, will show educators how personalized learning empowers students to shape their own learning. Register for the Allison Zmuda Expert Series. As a lead up to her in-person sessions in May 2018, Allison Zmuda is hosting a three-part webinar series that will answer some of educators' most pressing questions around personalized learning. Participation in the Allison Zmuda Expert Series, though encouraged, is not a prerequisite for participating in the virtual sessions with Allison. Register for the Allison Zmuda Webinar Series.
Contact: Michael Brownstein at vtclg@ccebos.org

Be Money Wi$e Poster Contest

Audience: All
The Vermont State Treasurer's Office's Be Money Wi$e poster contest is nearing its deadline for student submissions. This year's poster contest theme is Big Ideas Pay Off. The deadline for submission is March 15, 2018.  All submissions must be between 8 1/2" x 11" and 11" x 17" in size (11" x 17" is preferred) and must be submitted on white paper stock. The winning students and their schools will be recognized at an April 6, 2018 State House ceremony in Montpelier as part of an observance of April as Financial Literacy Month. The State Treasurer will recognize the student poster contest winners. Students may win a $100 cash prize and their school a $100 cash prize. The school prize is a small way we can say “thank you” to teachers, librarians and administrators who take the time to encourage involvement in the contest and support financial education. 
Contact: Thea Wurzburg, Financial Literacy and Policy Assistant, at tre.financialliteracy@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.

Inquiry-Based Practice in Social Studies Education

This two-day hands-on workshop is designed to familiarize Vermont educators with the C3 Framework through a curriculum design process called the Inquiry Design Model (IDM). National presenter and C3 Lead Writer, Kathy Swan, will guide participants through the 10-step design path so that they walk away with a solid understanding of social studies inquiry and how inquiry unfolds in the classroom. The book, "The Inquiry Design Model: Building Inquiries in Social Studies," is included. The training will be held at Trader Dukes Hotel, formerly the DoubleTree in South Burlington. Learn more and register for Inquiry-Based Practice in Social Studies Education.
Contact: Champlain Valley Educator Development Center at info@cvedcvt.org

Teacher's Trauma Toolbox

This one-day workshop is for educators looking to jumpstart their trauma-informed practice knowledge and skills. This workshop will cover the basics of how trauma impacts student learning and what strategies and approaches can help teachers serve trauma-affected students. The workshop will be held on January 27, 2018 at the O'Brien Community Center in Winooski. Learn more and register for Teacher's Trauma Toolbox.
Contact: Alex Shevrin at ashevrin@antioch.edu 

VTeen 4-H Science Pathways Cafe

VTeen 4-H Science Pathways Cafe will be hosting its first teen science cafe on February 3, 2018 from 5:30 -7:00 p.m. at the University of Vermont. Teen science cafes are a free, fun way for you to explore science with local scientists through informal discussions and hands-on activities. And, there is always free food. These cafes are planned and run by teens for teens. Open to all youth in grades 7-12. Our first cafe topic will be Astrobiology: Life Among the Stars with Hillary Emick, who conducted her graduate research as part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, a team of hundreds of scientists at dozens of universities around the country working to understand where else life could exist in the universe and how to find it.
Contact: Lauren Traister, 4-H Teen and Leadership Program Coordinator, at lauren.traister@uvm.edu or (802) 888-4972 ext. 402

Getting Ready to Learn Workshop Series and Course

The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative is again offering this popular workshop series - this time in Burlington, and also now offering the option of receiving two graduate credits. The Getting Ready to Learn series is designed to provide participants with starter materials to begin a program for children with autism and similar learning needs. In each workshop, participants will be making and taking materials, and given a framework and practice for when and how to use them. These workshops can be taken individually, but are most effective in a sequence. It is also available for two graduate credits, with additional work and implementation of materials.  Led by instructors Chris Knippenberg and Patty Piotrowski, the series kicks off on February 2, 2018 at Trader Dukes Hotel in South Burlington (formerly the DoubleTree).
Contact: Julie Medose at julie.medose@vthec.org

Flynn Center Creative Moving for Wellness

Older adults are invited to join Sara McMahon on Mondays from noon to 1 p.m. March 5, 2018 through May 7, 2018 at the Flynn Center for Creative Moving for Wellness. The class is specifically designed for people who wish to continue moving dynamically as the body adapts to mobility challenges. Movers are encouraged to participate at their own rate and pace of time and adapt movements to meet their own need/ability.
Contact: Sarah Caliendo, FlynnArts Manager, at scaliendo@flynncenter.org

Orton-Gillingham: Associate Level Course and Optional Practicum

The Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach is the underlying foundation of all multisensory structured language instruction. You will learn both the structure of the English language and how to teach it sequentially and systemically to struggling readers including students with dyslexia. No prior OG training is required to attend. Learn more and register for Orton-Gillingham: Associate Level Course and Optional Practicum.
Contact: Caitlin Niland, Intake Coordinator for Professional Learning, (802) 878-2332 ext 320 or cniland@sterncenter.org

 


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Questions? Email Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov.