Skip to main content
An Official Vermont Government Website

Volume 13, Issue 50

Weekly Field Memo
December 11, 2019

Lead in School Drinking Water Testing Schedule

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Facilities Managers
The Vermont Department of Health has updated the schedule of sampling and sample pick-up dates for schools to have their water tested for lead under Act 66 of 2019. You can access the testing schedule online on the Vermont Department of Health website. Superintendents (public schools) and heads of school (independent schools) will receive an email from the Health Department when they have been scheduled. If your school will NOT be open on your scheduled pickup day, please email leadschool@vermont.gov as soon as possible. For more information, visit Lead Testing in Drinking Water: What Schools Need to Do, or dial 2-1-1 or (802) 652-4636.
Contact: Michelle Thompson at leadschool@vermont.gov

SLDS Hosting Change Q1 2020

Audience: Superintendents, Data Managers
Beginning early in 2020, the Agency of Education (AOE) will transfer hosting of the edFusion platform, Vermont's Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS), from its current vendor to the state cloud. This means that moving forward, the backend systems running the platform will be directly managed and updated by the state. More specific information on logistics will be shared two weeks in advance of the migration to support edFusion users.
Contact: Wendy Geller at AOE.SLDSSupportGroup@vermont.gov

Restorative Practices Fidelity Instrument

Audience: School teams responsible for implementation of Restorative Practices
If you have a team in your building that is working on implementation of Restorative Practices, the BEST Project/VTPBIS State Team would like to invite your team to complete a fidelity instrument to assess current level of implementation fidelity. This information will be used to plan for future professional development opportunities that are matched to the needs of Vermont schools. The deadline for completion is Jan. 3, 2020.
Contact: Amy Wheeler-Sutton at amy.wheeler@uvm.edu or (518) 421-3965

Washington, D.C.; California and Vermont Lead Nation in Providing Afterschool Suppers

The Food Research & Action Center reports that Vermont, along with Washington, D.C. and California, is leading the nation in serving afterschool suppers alongside educational and enrichment programming to children participating in the free or reduced-priced school lunch program. The report describes afterschool suppers as “a solution to the nutritional and opportunity gaps that exist for too many students after the school day ends.” We are committed to making afterschool supper meals accessible to Vermont students who need them to grow, learn and thrive. If you would like to learn more about Afterschool Supper programs, please contact Becca Cochran.
Contact: Becca Cochran at rebecca.cochrane@vermont.gov

VTmtss December Office Hour Recording Available

The VTmtss Team has posted a closed captioned recording of the December Office Hour, which offers an interview-style overview of Educational Support Teams (EST). Learn about the basic structure of an EST, its connection to the VTmtss Framework, the alignment with Act 173, and the Agency's newly released EST Guidance Document.
Contact: Tracy Watterson at tracy.watterson@vermont.gov or (802) 828-5012

Announcing Educational Benefit Training

Audience: Special Education Administrators
The Vermont Agency of Education, in collaboration with the CT State Education Resource Center-SERC, is excited to announce a continued training opportunity for Vermont schools and supervisory unions. This reflective professional learning session will train SU/SD teams of educators how to evaluate and improve the quality of their students’ individualized education programs (IEPs). The session will be held Jan. 21, 2020 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Details and information about the Educational Benefit Review Process are available online.
Contact: Betty Roy at betty.roy@vermont.gov

Registration now open: Mathematics and MTSS EdCamp Series January Training

Audience: Principals, Teachers, Special Educators, Special Education Administrators, Curriculum Directors
The EdCamp focus is on the integration of social, emotional, and academic development and inclusive pedagogy and practices for all mathematics. How do schools create the highest quality mathematics instruction that is differentiated and responsive to the needs of diverse learners? Jan. 22, 2020 (North) Le Belvedere, 100 Main Street Suite 200, Newport, VT. Jan. 24, 2020 (South) Fletcher House, 463 Main Street, Chester, VT. Register for Mathematics and MTSS EdCamp.
Contact: Betty Roy at betty.roy@vermont.gov

Professional Learning Community for New School Nurses

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, School Nurses, Local Standards Boards
The Vermont Department of Health is offering a virtual Professional Learning Community (PLC) specifically for RNs who are new to School Nursing. School nurses (SN) from this 2019-2020 cohort and some from 2018-19 have been invited to this free workforce development opportunity. This structured activity aligns with needed competencies for practice in Vermont schools (AOE – Rules, pg. 178-185). Please allow time 3-4 p.m. on the 10 Wednesdays for new SNs (and mentor) to attend. LSBs are urged to accept this activity towards school nurse licensing endorsement of this professional development activity for both the new SN and for the SN mentor.
Contact: Sharonlee Trefry at sharonlee.trefry@vermont.gov (802) 863-7348

What-if Wednesday: School Emergency Preparedness

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, School Crisis Planning Team Members
The What-if Wednesday for Dec. 11, 2019 is designed for Superintendents, Principals and School Crisis Planning Team Members to facilitate a conversation about school emergency preparedness. Please complete the exercise and share with your faculty and staff as appropriate.
Contact: Robert L. Evans at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448

2020 Educator License Renewals Season is Coming

Audience: Educators renewing a Level I or II License in 2020
Licensing renewal season will soon be upon us. To ensure timely processing, please login to your ALiS account and update your employment details and preferred email address. Failure to do so may cause a significant delay. Renewing educators working in a Vermont school associated with a Local/Regional Standards Board should be in contact with their respective board.
Contact: Deb Giles at deborah.giles@vermont.gov

Updated: Special Education General Supervision and Monitoring System Stakeholder Meetings

Audience: All, Special Education Administrators
As part of obtaining stakeholder input for the new special education general supervision and monitoring system to be fully implemented next school year, the Agency of Education is holding several stakeholder meetings. We welcome you to join us on Dec. 16, 2019, from 9 a.m. - noon at the Center for Achievement in Public Service (CAPS) located at 32 College Street, Montpelier, Vermont. You may join virtually using our Skype for business link or for audio participation only you may call (802) 522-8456 using conference ID 473542397. Please note that you must complete this registration form prior to participation. A draft copy of the manual is available online and all comments will be collected using a standard response form. Response forms should be sent to AOE.SpecialEd@vermont.gov.
Contact: Tonya Rutkowski at AOE.SpecialEd@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. Please refer to the Weekly Field Memo submission guidelines for additional information. 

Enrollment Now Open: Governor's Institute of Vermont Winter Weekends

Applications for the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont Winter Weekends are now open. All Vermont high school students are eligible to attend. Students will explore their interests and passions from a list of 10 different topics, all while having fun and meeting new and like-minded peers. Students should apply early and before the Jan. 10, 2020 deadline – applications are considered on a rolling basis and spaces fill up quickly. Winter Weekend is a perfect and affordable precursor to the life-changing summer Governor's Institutes. Tuition is based on a sliding scale and can be as low as $10. Please visit the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont website for more information and to begin the application process.
Contact: Barry Steyling at outreach@giv.org or (802) 865-4448

Autism Spectrum Disorders: VT-HEC Spring Courses

Registration is now open for two spring graduate courses for educators, mental health workers and others who are interested in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Both courses are a hybrid of online course work and some Saturday class days. Students will receive three graduate credits from NVU upon successful completion of either course. Behavior Planning for Students with ASD, with Kristin Beswick: This course will provide participants with an overview of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), various types of data collection, behavior planning and progress monitoring for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Begins on Jan. 25, 2020, in Berlin, VT. Continuum of Communication: Family-Centered Assessment and Intervention for Students with Autism, with Danielle Kent: This course focuses on communication assessment and intervention for students with Autism. This course also details intervention for socialization and play, two other key components of the continuum of communication for children with autism. Begins on Jan. 11, 2020, in Montpelier, VT. See the complete VT-HEC spring catalog online.
Contact: Julie Medose at julie.medose@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350

Teacher Workshop with Visiting Artist Damien Sneed

Join visiting artist Damien Sneed at the Flynn on Jan. 22 from 4-6 p.m. for a workshop inspired by the words and action of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sneed is at the Flynn presenting student matinee and evening performances of his work "We Shall Overcome" which ties together a living lineage of music and culture that includes traditional and modern gospel, classical, jazz, Broadway, and spirituals, all interwoven with excerpts from Dr. King's speeches. "The work we did with the visiting artists provided many exercises to use with any age. The fact that we put them to use together and truly embodied them was powerful" (Alana Phinney, Independent Teaching Artist). Links to civil rights, activism, music history, African American culture/tradition/history, voice, expression; fee is $20/participant, includes two tickets to the 7:30 p.m. performance; fee support and PD credit available; register online.
Contact: Lauren Genta at lgenta@flynncenter.org or (802) 652-4508

Professional Development: Social Emotional Learning Workshop Series

Join the Stern Center this January through March for an enriching and educational workshop series on social emotional learning in children PreK through Grade 6. These five workshops explore play, Peer Mediated Interventions and Supports (PMIS), Theory of Mind (ToM), social competence and social communication. Discounts are available for participants who take more than one workshop or who bring a friend.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org

Castleton University Center for Schools: Spring Course Registration is Open

The Castleton Center for Schools spring semester opens in January with hybrid and online courses starting through mid-May. Topics include: engineering, executive function, leadership, project-based learning, Spanish, trauma and more. Review course descriptions and/or register online.
Contact: Tara Lidstone at tara.lidstone@castleton.edu or (802) 345-0092

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.