Volume 14, Issue 22

June 3, 2020

COVID-19 Updates and Guidance for Schools
Other Agency of Education and State of Vermont Updates
Courtesy Posts

COVID-19 Updates and Guidance for Schools

This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains updates to COVID-19 guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education released since the last Weekly Field Memo. For a complete list of AOE-issued guidance, please visit our COVID-19 Guidance for Vermont Schools and Continuity of Learning websites. For the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the COVID-19 response in Vermont, visit the Health Department's Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) website.

Guidance: Continuity of Learning

Audience: Superintendents, Independent School Heads, Educators
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has issued Leveraging Summer 2020 Learning Programs: A Strong, Healthy Start (5/29).
Contact: Jess DeCarolis at jess.decarolis@vermont.gov

Guidance: Financial Guidance

Audience: Superintendents, Independent School Heads, Business Managers
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has issued Federal Education Funding Planning Guidance (6/3).
Contact: Kathy Flanagan at kathy.flanagan@vermont.gov

Guidance: Special Education

Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Administrators, Special Educators
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has issued Memo: Extended School Year Services Summer 2020 (5/29).
Contact: Jacqui Kelleher at jacqui.kelleher@vermont.gov

Guidance: Adult Education and Literacy

Audience: Superintendents, Adult Education Programs
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has issued Guidance for High School Completion Program and TABE 11/12 Assessments During the COVID-19 Response (5/28) and Virtual Test Proctoring Procedures for Continuity of Learning (5/28).
Contact: Robin Castle at robin.castle@vermont.gov

Guidance: Child Nutrition Programs

Audience: Superintendents, Child and Adult Care Food Program Staff
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has issued Child and Adult Care Food Program Food Service Operation Guidance for Re-opening During COVID-19 (6/1)
Contact: Becca Cochran at rebecca.cochran@vermont.gov

Guidance: Assessments

Audience: Superintendents, Guidance Counselors
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has updated State and National Assessments and College Admissions: Timelines, Schedules and Resources (6/2)
Contact: Linda Moreno at linda.moreno@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: Program Schedule and Educator Survey

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont AOE and PBS want to know how to improve programming and supplemental resources for the summer and fall. Please fill out a short survey and share your thoughts. The results will be used to inform next steps. Additionally, this is the Vermont PBS Week-Ahead Program Schedule for the week of June 8, 2020. Resources available online as well as those that can be printed and sent home have been identified within the schedule.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.org or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org

But Why Live: A Press Conference for Kids with Gov. Phil Scott (June 5)

Audience: K-6 Teachers
On Friday, June 5, 2020, at 1 p.m. Vermont Governor Phil Scott will join But Why Live on Vermont Public Radio for a special kid press conference. First, students will learn what a press conference is and how journalists think about what questions to ask. Then Governor Scott will join us to field questions from kids for the rest of the hour. Teachers could pair this radio program with a writing activity: ask students to write a news report using quotes from the press conference, or talk about the concept of an editorial essay and ask students to write an opinion piece based on the show. Additional supplemental resources are available on the AOE VPR webpage. This episode is targeted at students in grades 3-6, but the phone lines will be open to all students. Students can send written or audio recordings of questions ahead of time to questions@butwhykids.org or call in live while the program is on the air. An audio recording of the press conference will be available at But Why after the program.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov

Other Agency of Education and State of Vermont Updates

This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains posts from the Agency of Education and other State of Vermont agencies that are not specifically related to the COVID-19 Response.

Required Training for SFAs operating the Summer Food Service Program

Audience: Superintendent, School Food Service Managers, Business Managers
Child Nutrition Programs will be holding a webinar on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, from 1:30-4 p.m. to provide the annual Summer Food Service Program Sponsor training. School Food Authorities who will be operating the summer food service program after June 30, 2020, are required to send at least one representative to this training. A recording of the training will be available for those who are unable to attend live. Food service management company employees are welcome, but cannot count as the sponsor representative. This training will include information on area eligibility, SFSP meal pattern, claims for reimbursement, administrative reviews, Serious Deficiency Procedure, procurement and civil rights. Register for the training online
Contact: Jamie Curley at jamie.curley@vermont.gov

Regional Education CTE Centers School Calendars 2020-2021 School Year

Audience: All
State statute requires that superintendents of schools and headmasters of public schools not managed by school boards in an area meet annually, and, by majority vote, establish a uniform calendar within that area for the following school year. The summary of the 2020-2021 Regional School CTE Centers Calendars are submitted to the Agency and organized by technical center regions. Please contact Allison Keating with questions.
Contact: Allison Keating at allison.keating@vermont.gov at (802) 828-4855

Public Bids: Waiver Request Form (16 V.S.A. §559)

Per 16 V.S.A. §559 Public Bids, competitive bidding, resulting in three or more bids, is required for purchases over $15,000 for any of the following: (1) the construction, purchase, lease or improvement of any school building; (2) the purchase or lease of any item or items required for supply, equipment, maintenance, repair or transportation of students; or (3) a contract for transportation, maintenance or repair services, unless the Secretary issues a waiver. Waivers will only be granted where a school board, through no fault of its own per State Board Rules series 9000, is unable to comply with the public bidding law 16 V.S.A. §559. The AOE has created a bid waiver request form to streamline the waiver request process.
Contact: Abby Houle at abby.houle@vermont.gov

Financial Literacy PBGRs: Seeking Comment

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Curriculum Directors, Educators
The Agency of Education is seeking comment on K-8 and 9-12 Financial Literacy Proficiency-based Graduation Requirements and indicators that have been developed by fifteen K-12 content and special education teachers. This work is a result of a two-year partnership between the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College and the AOE following the State Board of Education’s adoption of the Jump$tart National K-12 Personal Finance Standards in 2018. This work supports the necessary teaching and learning identified by students, educators and the community in the Vermont Portrait of a Graduate. Comments should be submitted to martha.deiss@vermont.gov by June 30, 2020.
Contact: Martha Deiss at martha.deiss@vermont.gov

Grant Applications for Technical Assistance

Audience: Individuals or agencies who provide technical assistance in support of students who are blind or visually impaired, hard of hearing or deaf-blind or have low incidence disabilities
The Vermont Agency of Education is taking grant applications for services related to the technical assistance and professional development of educational teams and families of individuals who are blind or visually impaired, hard of hearing or deaf-blind or have low incidence disabilities. Complete the grant application by June 17, 2020.
Contact: Katy Langevin at katy.langevin@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.

Until further notice, the Courtesy Posts will not include posts related to in-person training, events or meetings. This is to support social distancing strategies recommended by the Vermont Department of Health.

Structures for Classroom Management and Student Behavior Livestream Workshop

VT-HEC will be offering this live streamed workshop with Sarah Schoolcraft on June 30, 2020. Designed with entry points for novice and veteran teachers, the workshop is constructed around the 5 R's: Relationships, Routines, Rituals, Rules and Reinforcement. Topics will include student engagement, positive behavior supports, MTSS, lagging skills and strategies to differentiate instruction and engage learners in order to maximize classroom instruction.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or 802-498-3350

4th Annual Early Childhood Educators Institute

This institute is for all individuals providing support, services and education in the Vermont Early Childhood field. 13 unique early childhood strands offered online through Zoom video conferencing and webinar connections with the option of adding an aligned 3-credit undergraduate/graduate course designed for early childhood teachers and staff and their supervisors. For more information on the institute, please visit the Center for Schools website.
Contact: Ric Reardon at richard.reardon@castleton.edu or (802) 558-4803

Professional Learning: Summer Online Trainings for Online Teaching and Learning

Registrations are open for Digitally Tidy - Practical Strategies to Manage Communication During Distance Learning facilitated by Sarah Birgé - with bite-sized workshops to make your day-to-day work less stressful and more seamless, including inbox zero, hosting video calls while navigating documents, etc. July 28, 29 and 30, 2020 (60 min sessions). Google Classroom Series: Be Ready for Google Classroom, Forms & Choice Boards & Hyperdocs - an online 4-part mini-series by Adam Seipel - Google Certified Trainer and Google Certified Innovator. July 13-16, 2020, 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. A great resource for building your Google toolbox this summer that will support your class for any environment and open opportunities for best practice innovation.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642

Lead (Pb) in the Environment course for Teachers and High School Students

UVM is working with the EPA to teach about lead (Pb) in the environment in a new summer course open to everyone in Vermont. Learn about this toxic element, collect samples near your home or school, and work with geochemists at UVM. Teachers taking the Lead in the Environment course (June 17- July 10, 2020) are eligible next year for ongoing UVM analytical support, on-line teaching content and virtual classroom visits with UVM project staff. Free college tuition for rising HS juniors and seniors using a Dual Enrollment voucher.
Contact: Paul Bierman at paul.bierman@uvm.edu

Governor’s Institute and UVM Immersion on Environmental Science and Technology

High school students, including 2020 and 2019 grads, work on a personal environmental portfolio of a location near their home, documenting environmental health with field sampling, sketching, photography, landscape change and oral histories. Environmental Science and Technology (ESAT) sends students the tools and equipment to sample water, soil and biologic organisms. Additional content includes carbon footprints, fake news, Vermont's energy future, local food and a science career night. The ESAT Immersion (July 2 and 5-12, 2020) has a pay-as-you-can model this year. Apply at: www.giv.org. High school students can also take ESAT for UVM credits: Governor's Institute on Environmental Science and Technology. Free college tuition for rising high school juniors and seniors using a Dual Enrollment voucher.
Contact: Christine Massey at christine.massey@uvm.edu

Astronomy Lecture

On Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at 7 p.m. EDT the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group (SoVerA) will present an open-to-the-public Zoom meeting titled An Interstellar Ambassador - Comet 2I/Borisov. This past year, Crimean amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov found the first interstellar comet while using his personal observatory and a telescope he built himself. SoVerA member Margot Schmitt will discuss this discovery, how we know the comet’s origins are from outside our solar system and what new information this interstellar ambassador provides.
Contact: Roderick Bates at roderick_bates@comcast.net

Castleton University Center for Schools: Summer 2020 Course Registration is Open

The Castleton Center for Schools summer course registration is open. Many recent courses are back by request and the Center, together with its educational partners, has built 25 new courses to meet current needs. Courses start all throughout the summer and include a wide variety of content areas such as Online Teaching & Learning, Self-care, MakerSpace, Mentoring, Ethics, Spanish, Brain Research & Learning, and Social Emotional Learning…as well as the core content areas like Math, Literacy, Science, Social Studies and more. All summer courses will be offered synchronously and/or asynchronously online and/or outdoors. Review course descriptions and register online.
Contact: Tara Lidstone at tara.lidstone@castleton.edu or (802) 345-0092

Online Professional Development Course: Trauma Informed Social Learning

Registration is open for Trauma Informed Social Learning, an online professional development course by the Stern Center for Language and Learning. This course focuses on defining, identifying, and understanding children’s developmental experiences – such as early adversity or autism – that negatively impact typical social development. Our goal is to help teachers and programs protect vulnerable learners and provide the knowledge and support needed for robust instruction in social emotional learning. Registration due by June 19, 2020.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org

VT-HEC Summer Course - Work-Based Learning: Providing Effective Opportunities for Students, Schools and Businesses

Registration is open for the Summer 2020 course, Work-Based Learning: Providing Effective Opportunities for Students, Schools and Businesses, taught by Rich Tulikangas (Director of Vermont’s Linking Learning to Careers (LLC) project). In order to develop legal, safe and effective work-based learning programs and experiences, this course will provide a thorough overview of labor and safety laws and practices, sales and marketing, career development strategies, and effective systems for organizing, monitoring and evaluating student learning opportunities with businesses and community partners. This is the foundational course in our 18-credit series of courses providing a pathway to the Work-Based Learning Endorsement and is for work-based learning coordinators as well as anyone responsible for student learning outside the school walls (i.e. community-based learning coordinators, coop coordinators, flexible pathway coordinators). Dates: June 22 - July 27, 2020, with three online synchronous group meetings (June 22, July 13 and July 27, 2020 from 4-7 p.m.) and the remainder online. For more details, view the informational flyer.