- Computer Science PD from Code.org: No-cost Workshops on Teaching CS in Vermont
- Multi-tiered System of Supports Survey Coming Soon
- Special Education Evaluation Guidelines Memo - Updated Link
- PACE Vermont Study on Youth Substance Use Recruiting Participants
- Courtesy Posts
Computer Science PD from Code.org: No-cost Workshops on Teaching CS in Vermont
Audience: Teachers, Principals
Computer science opens doors of opportunity — every student can benefit from a foundational understanding of the creativity, collaboration and problem-solving that goes behind the technology we use in our daily lives. Code.org and the Vermont Computer Science Alliance are offering workshops at no cost to prepare practicing educators with diverse teaching backgrounds to teach computer science. This program has shown tremendous success (and drawn rave reviews from teachers) across the country. Available for Grades 6-12 and Grades K-5. The Vermont Computer Science Alliance (Code.org’s local partner) will help with any application questions.
Contact: Peter Drescher and peter.drescher@vermont.gov
Multi-tiered System of Supports Survey Coming Soon
Available: May 1, 2019
Deadline: June 3, 2019
Audience: Superintendents and Principals
Each superintendent shall annually provide to the Vermont Secretary of Education the status of a tiered system of supports in each school in the supervisory union or school district; how it is funded and how building the capacity of the educational support system is addressed in the School's Continuous Improvement Plan, according to Act 117 - VSA Title 16, Section 2904. Included in the report will be a description and justification of how funds received due to Medicaid reimbursement under section 2959a are used. A link to the MTSS Survey for 2019 will be available on May 1, 2019. The deadline for completing the survey will be June 3, 2019.
Contact: Nancy Hellen at nancy.hellen@vermont.gov
Special Education Evaluation Guidelines Memo - Updated Link
Audience: Special Education Administrators, Special Educators
The Vermont Agency of Education Special Education team has issued a revised memo to clarify requirements on issues recently observed relevant to initial and triennial evaluations. This revised Special Education Evaluation Guidelines Memo can be found on the AOE website.
Contact: Tonya Rutkowski at tonya.rutkowski@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1245
PACE Vermont Study on Youth Substance Use Recruiting Participants
The University of Vermont and the Vermont Department of Health have launched a new research study, PACE Vermont. Until now, Vermont public health experts have relied on youth surveys done every two years to inform substance use prevention efforts - but a lot can happen in two years. By surveying young people (ages 12-25) with three brief online surveys over a six-month period, PACE Vermont will help us further understand the impact of state-level policies and communication campaigns on substance use beliefs and behaviors among young Vermonters. This will help direct substance use prevention resources where and when they are needed most. We are currently recruiting 3,000 participants and need your help. Please consider sharing this information with your school community through newsletters, emails and social media posts. You can also keep track of the study’s progress and key findings on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Contact: Erin Singer at erin.singer@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.
Youth Art Fair of Vermont
Do you have a student, or students, who love making art and dream of further education in the arts? Would they like more experience selling their wares while raising money for their education? On Saturday, June 8, 2019, at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, Paine Mountain School District and Safe Art will present the Youth Art Fair of Vermont. This event is free for everyone. Call to Youth Artists: apply to participate via the Safe Art website.
Contact: Jerry Cassels at youthartfairvt@gmail.com
Special Topics in Lake Champlain Natural History
This professional education opportunity provides hands-on study through five unique courses on the natural history and ecology of Lake Champlain, its watershed and more. Courses are modular and can be taken individually or as a series. Visit the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum website for more information or to register. Graduate credit is available through Castleton University.
Contact: Elizabeth Lee at elizabethl@lcmm.org or (802) 475-2022 x102
Create Make Learn Summer Institute
Join us for the 7th annual Create Make Learn Summer Institute (July 22 -26, 2019), which includes the following strands: Make Amazing Media; Getting Started with Maker Centered Learning; Grow a Maker Mindset; Advanced Maker Skills; and Making with Young Leaners PreK- Gr2. Grad credit, housing, two-day boot camps on Circuits, 3D printing, laser cutters, etc., and student leadership camp available. Register at www.CreateMakeLearn.org.
Contact: Lucie deLaBruere at ldelabruere@gmail.com or (802) 577-0013
Professional Learning Webinar Hosted by the Vermont Family Network
Registration is open for the webinar Update on Universal Prekindergarten in Vermont on May 9, 2019 from 12–1 p.m. The State of Vermont has invested in Prekindergarten in recent years and sees this set of services as a critical focus for improved outcomes for children across our state. Act 166 was passed to provide access to high quality Prekindergarten services to all Vermont children through creating private-public partnerships between private PreK providers and school districts. This session will focus on an overview of the process by which private providers partner with school districts and what this means as a parent who is seeking to access this resource. Providers will also benefit in hearing from a public school leader who is responsible for managing implementation of this law. Presenter: Erin Maguire, Director of Student Support Services, Essex Westford School District.
Contact: Janice Sabett at Janice.Sabett@vtfn.org or (800) 800-4005 x218
Professional Development: Introduction to the Orton-Gillingham Approach
Registration is open for the Stern Center for Language and Learning’s Introduction to the Orton-Gillingham Approach course in Rutland, VT. The Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach is the underlying foundation of all multisensory, structured literacy instruction. In this five-day course, participants will gain an understanding of the OG Approach and how to develop an OG lesson. Participants will learn about the reading brain and dyslexia, phonology, spelling patterns, the history of the English language and morphology. Registration due by June 24, 2019. Grant funding towards tuition is available.
Contact: SJ White at swhite@sterncenter.org or (802) 878-2332 x320
Civic Education Opportunity: Cohort Maine/Vermont
The James Madison Legacy Project (JMLP) is a federally funded grant which will support ten teachers from Maine and Vermont to participate in a high-level civic education professional development opportunity. We are now recruiting high school and middle school teachers (Grades 7-12) and teachers of special populations (in those grade levels) from both Maine and Vermont who will be able to teach civic education during the 2019/20 academic year for Cohort M/V. The program will be held at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire, July 14 through July 18, 2019. There will be 30 hours of professional development, as well as a $300 stipend and a classroom set of texts. For more information, see the program Recruitment Letter and the JMLP Teacher Agreement Letter. Applications will close on June 4, 2019.
Contact: Michael Trofi at mtrofi@westwarwickpublicschools.com or (401) 823-1680
Red Kite Green Mountain: Free, Sensory-friendly Performance at Fletcher Free Library
Red Kite Green Mountain, Friday, April 26, 2019, at 9 and 11 a.m. at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington, was designed for young people on the autism spectrum and their caregivers. This inclusive theater experience, open to all children ages 4 and up, is about making connections, fostering a strong sense of community, belonging and comfort in just being who you are in a safe, gentle, welcoming environment. Developed by the Flynn in collaboration with Chicago Children's Theatre in 2018, RKGM features local artists and educators and beautiful, interactive puppets. Free with pre-registration; more info and pre-registration online.
Contact: Fletcher Free Library Youth Desk at (802) 865-7216
UVM Summer Academy
Designed for motivated high school students who have completed 10th, 11th or 12th grade, the University of Vermont’s Summer Academy is an outstanding, academically challenging 4-week program (2 weeks on-campus, 2 weeks online) that provides students with the opportunity to earn credits, explore a specific area of career interest, experience college life and showcase their talent and ambition to college recruiters.
Contact: Katie Albee at learn@uvm.edu or (802) 656-2085
MTSS "Ground Level" System Planning (K-6): What does effective, daily implementation look like?
Do you need to make significant changes to your MTSS infrastructure and systems in order to more effectively implement multi-tiered programming designed to serve all students? Jennifer Patenaude will guide this intensive two-day workshop - just in time to plan for the next school year. Strategies and suggestions shared are drawn from the collective experience of schools from across Vermont well underway with MTSS. It is strongly suggested to attend with a team that might include: building administrator, classroom teacher, interventionist, special educator, guidance counselor/behavior specialist, district level coaches and district administrators. Join us at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier on May 7-8, 2019.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org and (802) 498-3350