- 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 and other COVID-19-related updates. 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: Strong and Healthy Start
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has issued Social, Emotional and Mental Health Supports During COVID-19 (Co-issued with the Department of Mental Health 8/14), updated Safety and Health Guidance FAQ 1: Physical Distancing (Updated 8/19) and issued Safety and Health Guidance FAQ 2: Quarantine and Staying Home When Sick (8/19).
Contact: Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov
Guidance: Finance
Audience: Superintendents, Business Managers
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Agency of Education has issued CARES Act: Discussion and Considerations for LEAs (8/14).
Contact: Kathy Flanagan at kathy.flanagan@vermont.gov
Requesting Medical Reserve Corps Assistance
Audience: Superintendents, Independent School Heads, School Nurses, COVID Coordinators
Vermont’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) are community-based groups of volunteers who supplement local emergency and public health resources with their medical and non-medical skills. Any SU/SDs or independent schools that would like to request MRC volunteers to help with health care needs and/or screening this year should reach out to the State Emergency Operations Center through the Vermont Emergency Management main call center at 1-800-347-0488. Before calling, collaborate with your school nurse and/or COVID Coordinator to identify your specific need (e.g. assistance with daily temperature screenings, consultation on the school’s COVID-19 Response Plan, etc.) and be prepared to provide detailed information about your request.
Contact: Sharonlee Trefry at sharonlee.trefry@vermont.gov
Vermont PBS: Summer Program Schedule
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Schedule of Vermont PBS Programs for the week of Aug. 24, 2020, is now available. For the summer months, the schedule is focused on two channels, the Main and Plus+. The Vermont Agency of Education has expanded their partnership with PBS to support in-person, hybrid and remote learning models. Based on teacher feedback, resources for in-classroom and distance learning shift to a monthly overview using analog, digital, and broadcast resources. Weekly thematic bundles, with specific episodes highlighted per week by content area and age-level, are available to stream on-demand. These episodes connect to specific resources on PBS LearningMedia and PBS Parents.
Contacts: Martha Deiss at martha.deiss@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org
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.
Playful Learning Collections for Home: Resources for Parents
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers, Librarians
Join Vermont PBS and Vermont Agency of Education specialists for a webinar that will build hybrid and distance learning toolkits for Fall. The live webinar taking place on Aug. 26, 2020, from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. and is for community members looking for ways to supplement at-home learning. To attend this free session email Heather Duhamel at Vermont PBS hduhamel@vermontpbs.org
Contacts: Martha Deiss at martha.deiss@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org.
Virtual Coffee and Conversation: Continuous Improvement Plans and Comprehensive Needs Assessment Overview and Best Practices
Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals, CFP/Grants Managers
The Education Quality Assurance team will be hosting the first of two virtual conversations exploring requirements and best practices for Continuous Improvement Plans and Comprehensive Needs Assessments. Session One will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Sept. 22, 2020. Register online. Each session will begin with a brief overview of the content, but will be largely dedicated to answering questions from the field. Each session will be recorded and made available on the AOE's YouTube channel after airing. You can find past recorded Coffee and Conversations and resources on the Continuous Improvement webpage.
Contact: Josh Souliere at josh.souliere@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 only include posts related to in-person training, events or meetings that affirmatively comply with current health guidance from the Vermont Department of Health, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and/or the Vermont Agency of Education.
Registrations Open: Professional Development “Entrepreneurship across the Curriculum”
Entrepreneurship Across the Curriculum is for 8th – 12th grade secondary/CTE educators & workforce professionals – offered through a combination of remote sessions & online delivery Oct. 3 – Dec. 12, 2020, for graduate credit. Highly effective, fun and interactive learning experiences that can easily be integrated into the online or in-person classroom in any discipline/program of study include: innovation and creativity, marketing, design thinking, finance, online teaching, and more to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce and continued education.
Contact: Laurel Butler at: lbutler@vtsbdc.org or (802) 922-3692
Artists in Schools Grants - Vermont Arts Council
Artists in Schools funds support artist residencies in schools. Eligible schools and school districts may apply to the Vermont Arts Council grant program for support of projects that meet local health and safety guidelines. Applications opened on Aug. 12, 2020, and will close when the funds are exhausted. Funds are to be used to pay teaching artists and schools may apply for an additional $250 for materials to be purchased from the teaching artist or to promote student safety during the pandemic. A list of eligible artists may be found on the Teaching Artist Roster. Artists collaborate with classroom teachers to ensure that the residency meets classroom learning objectives. Preference is given to projects that align with Council priorities.
Contact: Troy Hickman at thickman@vermontartscouncil.org or (802) 828-3778
Networks for Excellence in Schools: Intentional Teaching
Partnerships for Literacy and Learning presents: Networks for Excellence in Schools: Intentional Teaching online Sept. 17, Oct. 1, 15 and 29, and Nov. 5 and 19, 2020. Are you looking for ways to collaborate around increasing instructional impact during this pandemic? Are you wondering how to effectively build and maximize your mtss framework in the upcoming school year? If yes, join other teachers, coaches and administrators as we gather to examine the issues we are facing and develop solutions tailored to our classrooms and schools. The power of participants’ experiences and knowledge will be leveraged to identify the most critical actions we can take for improvement. Over the course of six sessions, from noon-1:30 p.m. we will identify a problem of practice, plan approaches and moves, implement and assess those moves, and finally, study the effectiveness of our efforts. Our Anchor Text will be the VTmtss Field Guide 2019. Register online.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521
Professional Virtual Learning Miniseries: Supporting Teachers in New Blended Environment
Registration is open for Learning to Stay Balanced, Embrace Blended Learning, & Learn about Covid-Safe Classrooms, a 3-session series to energize and support Vermont educators with experienced experts. Sept. 1, 2020, 9-10 a.m. Beyond Self-Care: Expanding Our Mental Wellness Understanding & Toolbox with Annie O'Shaughnessy, Sept. 1, 1-2 p.m. Embracing Blended Learning with Pam Moran and Ira Socol, and Sept. 2, 9-10:30 a.m. Learning from Vermont Summer Programs about Safety, Learning & Success During COVID with Vermont's Summer Program Directors, Holly Morehouse of VT Afterschool and Breena Holmes of VT Dept of Health. Details on the Champlain Valley Educator Development Center
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642
Last Call to Share Dairy Education Activities
Got dairy... education? If you work with middle/high school age students and have ever done dairy-related activities (a farm visit, taste test, classroom lessons or something else) the Agency of Agriculture and UVM Extension 4-H would love to hear about it. Visit our survey or contact Liz Kenton.
Contact: Liz Kenton at liz.kenton@uvm.edu or (802) 257-7967 x308
UP for Learning Presents Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability
Today's youth now, more than ever, are seeking opportunities to engage in sustainability work in order to make a difference on a local and global level. To help facilitate this important work, UP for Learning and Shelburne Farms are excited to announce the 5th annual Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability (CPS). This year-long program will engage youth and adults to work in partnership to develop learner-centered projects that support a socially and economically just and sustainable society. This experience can happen in-person, remotely or a combination of both and can be tailored to meet the needs of your team. Regardless of the learning landscape, we can shift the curricular narrative to empower youth to become actively involved in their school and local communities.
Contact: Sarah Popowicz at sarah@upforlearning.org
Teaching Racial Justice in PK - 12 Schools: A Live Webinar Series
The VT-HEC has secured a block of participant slots for this professional learning series hosted and facilitated by our colleague, Paul Gorski, and the Equity Literacy Institute. In this 4-part series, racial justice educators share key philosophical, practical, pedagogical and theoretical insights about how to teach racial justice in PK-12 schools. We will explore what it means to engage youth of various ages in critical conversations that transcend "celebrating diversity"; how to cope with resistance from colleagues, parents and others; where to find powerful resources; what it means to approach teaching for racial justice in "age appropriate" ways; and how to make sure we're teaching racial justice in the most transformative, pedagogically sound ways. The series includes: four 75-minute interactive webinars; weekly reading suggestions including books and articles; weekly reflection-to-action prompts for individual journaling and reflection; and an online space where participants can share resources and dialogue before, after and between the weekly webinars. The series begins on Sept. 1, 2020, and will continue every Tuesday evening through Sept. 29, 2020. Cost is $75.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350