- 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.
Vermont PBS: Kids and Education July Resources
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS have compiled Vermont PBS Kids and Education: July 2021. This resource is based on the PBS Kids Summer of Possibilities, which provides children with opportunities to play and learn through hands-on activities, games and tips that support literacy, math, science and life skills. Visit the new Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources for summer learning. For more information about the partnership between the Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS, visit the AOE’s Vermont PBS webpage.
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.
The Mastery Transcript Consortium: Vermont Students and Educators Share their Perspectives
Audience: Administrators, Guidance Counselors, and High School Teachers
The Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC) Panel Video provides information about this digital high school proficiency-based transcript from the perspective of Vermont students and educators. Additionally, an overview of the transcript is provided by a member of the MTC team.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
Request for Applications: Act 67 Community Schools Act Competitive Grant Opportunity
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, CTE Directors, AEL Providers, Curriculum Coordinators, School Counselors, Teachers
With the passage of Act 67 – The Community Schools Act in June, the Agency of Education has developed a competitive grant opportunity for eligible applicants to develop and pilot Community Schools Programs. Community Schools serve as resource hubs that provide a broad range of easily accessed, well-coordinated supports and services that help students and families with increasingly complex needs. These schools, at their core, are about investing in children, through quality teaching; challenging, engaging, and culturally responsive curricula; wrap around supports; safe, just, and equitable school climate; strong ties to family and community; and a clear focus on student achievement and well-being. A total of over $3M in ARP-ESSER funds will be competed for three-year awards to eligible applicants that show the greatest promise for successful implementation of Community School Programs and positive change. Funding for the implementation of Community School programs will be awarded annually for a period of three years to successful applicants. The grant application will remain open for five weeks, closing on August 18, 2021. Please refer to the Community Schools Act Request for Application for details and the FY22 Community Schools Grant Application online form to submit an application. Information about this competitive grant opportunity, including the links above, can be found under the Initiatives section on the AOE Flexible Pathways webpage.
Contact: Jess DeCarolis at AOE.CommunitySchoolsProgram@vermont.gov
Back to School with Vermont PBS
Audience: All
Vermont Public Broadcasting System (Vermont PBS) and the Agency of Education (AOE) continue to partner to support learning for Vermont students this summer and fall. This partnership provides access to free educational programming, curricular connections, off-line kits, and distance learning tutorials. Getting ready for school includes finding right resources about emotion, routine and transitions. Find these resources beginning in August at Vermont PBS. While there, enter to win tickets to the Montshire Museum’s Dinosaur Exhibit. One winner will receive 16 tickets for families or use for scheduled field trips.
Contact: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org
What if Wednesday
Audience: Superintendent’s, Principals and School Crisis Planning Team Members
The What if Wednesday for July 28, 2021 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, VT School Safety Liaison Officer, revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448.
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.
Vita-Learn’s Annual Tech Pizza Conference
There are still spaces available for the 2021 Tech Pizza conference scheduled for August 3, 2021. Workshops and presentations are geared toward K12 IT professionals. Registration is free to Vita-Learn all Vita-Learn members! For more information, and to register, please visit this website.
Contact: Jeff Mao at director@vita-learn.org or (207) 798-2460
Sustaining Yourself at Work Webinar
Sustaining Yourself at Work is a 90 minute webinar, offered at no charge on Wednesday, July 28. Current research supports that employees of systems and organizations cannot produce desired outcomes for the people they serve without a stable, engaged and healthy workforce. As helping professionals, our wellbeing is affected; we often take care of others and forget to tend to our own needs in the process. This training will provide an understanding of how to sustain yourself in the work by providing key learnings and mindset shift.
Contact Catherine Diduk at info@healthandlearning.org.
2021 VEEP Summer Institute: Local Connections to Energy and Climate
This year’s VEEP Summer Institue program explores local connections to energy & climate. The virtual program dates are August 9, 10, and 12 with each day’s online session lasting no more than 3 hours. After the conclusion of the synchronous program, our participants may then collaborate with VEEP educators to bring to fruition custom curricula. The registration deadline is July 26 and scholarship funds are available if cost is a barrier. Please use this link to register.
Contact Nial Rele at Nial@veep.org with questions.