- 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: A Strong and Healthy Start
Audience: Superintendents, Independent School Heads, Educators
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Vermont Agency of Education has released Memo: Strong and Healthy Schools Survey (9/28) and FAQ: Transitioning from Step II to Step III (9/24).
Contact: Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov
Guidance: Finance
Audience: Superintendents, Business Managers
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Vermont Agency of Education has released Memo: FEMA Decision Regarding Coronavirus Relief Funds (9/28).
Contact: Jill Briggs-Campbell at jill.briggscampbell@vermont.gov
Guidance: Assessment
Audience: Superintendents, Educators
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Vermont Agency of Education has released Memo: Strong and Healthy Start - Refocusing on Assessment (9/28).
Contact: Amanda Gorham at amanda.gorham@vermont.gov
Guidance: Career Technical Education
Audience: Superintendents, CTE Administrators
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Vermont Agency of Education has released Memo: Strong and Healthy Start Reopening Considerations Specific to Career Technical Education (9/24)
Contact: Ruth Durkee at ruth.durkee@vermont.gov
Guidance: Child Nutrition
Audience: Superintendents, Food Service Managers
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo, the Vermont Agency of Education has released Guidance on School Meals on Inclement Weather Days During the 2020-21 School Year (9/29).
Contact: Rosie Krueger at mary.krueger@vermont.gov
Vermont PBS: New Distance Learning Monthly Schedule for Fall
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Schedule of Vermont PBS Programs for the month of October 2020 is now available. 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 have shifted 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: Emily Leute at emily.leute@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.
Empowered Paraprofessionals: School Year Sessions - Session 1: Virtual Strategies
Audience: Paraeducators
Empowered Paraprofessionals: School Year Sessions - Session 1 will be held on Oct. 27, 2020, from 1 p.m. -3 p.m. Many of the students we are supporting are connecting with their school virtually. This session will help paraprofessionals understand virtual strategies and teach paraprofessionals how to help their students in the virtual learning environment. Please register online to receive your link to this meeting.
Contact: Ana Kolbach at ana.kolbach@vermont.gov
VTmtss Driver Diagram Template and Example Available
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Leadership Teams
The VTmtss Team has posted the VTmtss Driver Diagram and VTmtss Driver Diagram Example. This dynamic tool is designed to help translate a priority problem of practice into a S.M.A.R.T. goal and change ideas and measurements featuring the VTmtss Framework Components as the primary drivers. Organizing the theory of improvement through the lens of the VTmtss Framework Components builds and refines the systemic structure already in place for improving academic and non-academic outcomes for all students. We recommend that this conversation be facilitated by someone familiar with the VTmtss Framework and the Continuous Needs Assessment (CNA) process. Facilitation support by the Agency of Education’s VTmtss Team is available upon request. Fill out the VTmtss Team Technical Assistance Request Form to request technical assistance.
Contact: Tracy Watterson at tracy.watterson@vermont.gov or (802) 828-5012
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.
Remote Math Teachers’ Circle
The Middlebury Math Teachers’ Circle invites Vermont mathematics teachers (K-12) to join us while we play with interesting problems in a collaborative online setting. Our first fall gathering will be on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020,from 7 – 8:30 p.m., when we’ll consider geometric constructions using origami. For more information about our Circle, and Math Teachers’ Circles in general, visit the Middlebury Math Teachers' Circle website. To get the Zoom link for our meeting, contact Priscilla Bremser.
Contact: Priscilla Bremser at bremser@middlebury.edu
Online Professional Development: Fundations® K-2 Workshops
Registration is open for Fundations Levels K, 1, and 2, professional development workshops from the Stern Center for Language and Learning. These online workshops take place Oct. 19-21, 2020, and each workshop provides a practical application of reading research and will prepare teachers to teach Fundations in Prevention (Tier 1) and/or Early Intervention (Tier 2) settings for their grade level. For more information, visit the course webpage for details. Registration due by Sept. 30, 2020.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org
Holistic Restorative Education Free Webinar Series
Saint Michael’s College is thrilled to announce our new Holistic Restorative Education Certificate Program, designed in collaboration with and coordinated by Annie O’Shaughnessy of True Nature Teaching. In preparation for the January 2021 program launch, we invite you to join us for a free webinar series in October (Oct. 5, 14, 20, or 29, 2020) that will offer a sampling of the program. Topics include mindfulness and restorative practices, racial identity development, reframing challenging behavior, and restorative circles. For more information and to register for one or more of the free, hour-long webinars, please visit our webinar series webpage.
Contact: Amy Saks Pavese at asakspavese@smcvt.edu
Vermont Walk and Bike to School Challenge
Fall Way to Go! Transportation Challenge presents the "Vermont Walk & Bike to School Challenge" opening next week, Oct. 5-16, 2020. Simply walk or bike to school, safely, at least once for all or part of your commute to school between Oct. 5-16. Report to your school event coordinator and log the school activity and be eligible to win great incentives and prizes from Way to Go! and Go! VT partners including a new bike from Earles, gear and more. For specific details visit the Way to Go! website.
Contact: Deb Sachs at deb@netzerovt.org or (802) 238-9807
VT Holocaust Memorial Promotes “Leaf” Season Lessons
The Vermont Holocaust Memorial (VTHM), a non-profit organization working to advance Holocaust and genocide education throughout Vermont, has put out a call for individually crafted “leaves” for its “Leaf Project” program to memorialize the 1.5 million child victims of the Nazi Holocaust. With an ongoing goal of collecting 1.5 million “leaves”, each representing a child killed, VTHM is reaching out to schools throughout Vermont with the project, as it seeks to teach lessons of the horrific costs of intolerance, discrimination, bullying and indifference, realized from the Holocaust. Additional information, including lesson plans, background information on children who perished and sample leaves, can be found under the Leaf Project section on the Vermont Holocaust Memorial website.
Contact: Debora Steinerman at info@holocaustmemorial-vt.org
Big Thought Speaker Series from Vermont Afterschool
Vermont Afterschool is thrilled to announce that two nationally renowned and recognized keynote speakers—Darrell "Coach D" Andrews and Dr. Pedro Noguera—will be delivering virtual workshops to our Vermont audience. This is a very special opportunity to learn from these thought leaders and the workshops will be open to all. Thanks to our generous funders, it will be free of charge. Anyone working with youth in any capacity will not want to miss this. Disruptive Innovation with Darrell “Coach D” Andrews on Oct. 16 and 23, 2020, (9-11 a.m. ET); Equity 2.0: Deeper Learning with Dr. Pedro Noguera on Nov. 6, 2020, (10-11 a.m. ET); Learn more about session descriptions and register online.
Contact: Nicole Miller at info@vermontafterschool.org or (802) 448-3464