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Volume 15, Issue 31

August 11, 2021

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.

Memo: COVID-19 Prevention Measures for Fall 2021

The memo: COVID-19 Prevention Measures for Fall 2021 was released on Thursday, August 5, 2021.
Contact: Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: Kids and Education August Resources for Summer Learning and Back to School

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS have compiled Vermont PBS Kids and Education: August 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. The August edition also includes resources for back to school. Visit the new Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources for summer learning and back to school. 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.

Egress Evacuation, School Bus and Options Based Response Drills for the 2021-2022 Academic Year

Audience: Superintendent’s, Principals and School Crisis Planning Team Members
The Vermont School Safety Center in collaboration with Vermont’s Division or Fire Safety, Agency of Education and the Vermont School Crisis Planning Team are sending out the Egress Evacuation, School Bus and Options Based Response Drills for the 2021-2022 Academic Year. The guidance can be found on Vermont’s School Safety Center’s website.
Contact: Robert L. Evans, VT School Safety Liaison Officer, revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448.

School Nurse Requirements Prior to Employment and Licensing

Audience: Superintendents and Principals
Registered Nurses (RNs) must complete the online New School Nurse Orientation to practice in Vermont schools. To avoid licensure delays, RNs must complete the required orientation before beginning their Agency of Education application for transcript review. The online orientation may take up to 12 hours for some applicants. Resources for Vermont School Health Services include the Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual and sample job descriptions for Licensed School Nurse and Associate School Nurse (p. 10). Please refer new school nurses to Kaitlyn Kodzis, State School Nurse Consultant, for the New School Nurse Orientation.
Contact: Kaitlyn Kodzis at kaitlyn.kodzis@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.

Power of Youth Adult Partnership in Reimagining Education!

The success of school redesign rests on mobilizing young people as partners in the change process, this is the Power of Youth Adult Partnership in Reimagining Education! Yet, youth are often overlooked as co-constructors of learning and agents of change. Join Up for Learning in a 4 part webinar on Youth Adult Partnership, designed to help individuals, teams and school systems take the next step in shifting their student-teacher paradigm to one of partnership. This virtual webinar will run September 13, 20, 27 and October 4 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. EST. Cost is $200 for the series. Certificate of PD Hours provided. Registration information can be found here.
Contact Sarah Popowicz at sarah@upforlearning.org

Vermont Destination Imagination 2021-22

Please join Vermont Destination Imagination, a non-profit program of creative collaboration for students in K-12, homeschool, and other community settings throughout Vermont. Teams of kids make the decisions about how to solve STEAM Challenges (in person and/or virtually), with facilitation by an adult Team Manager. Challenge solutions are presented at the Vermont Destination Imagination Tournament, a competition, showcase, and celebration. Destination Imagination can be part of the curriculum, an after school program, or other community-based programming. Free workshops and training anywhere in Vermont. 
Contact Jane Youngbaer at (802) 272-2766 or vtdicreativity@gmail.com

Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT-HEC) Fall Catalog - Registration is Open

Registration is open for VT-HEC's fall semester with virtual workshops, webinars and recordings, plus graduate level courses. Topics include Executive Functioning, Early Childhood Ed, Equity, Neurodiversity, Resilience, Special Education, and more. There is also a full line up of graduate courses to gain endorsements in the areas of Special Ed, Early Ed, ECSE, Health Ed, and Work Based Learning. See the entire list of offerings on the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative website.
Contact Julie Medose: info@vthec.org or 802-498-3350

Social Emotional Learning, Wellness, and Mental Health Considerations for the Fall Webinar

As schools are preparing for the fall, it will be important to keep social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness at the forefront of plans. Attend a free webinar on August 12, 2021 from 9-10 a.m. to explore how to keep the focus on relationship building, key SEL skills for adults and youth, how to integrate SEL teaching into academic content, and how to build a culture of wellness. There will be an opportunity for participants to share how they are keeping the focus on SEL and wellness at their schools.
Contact: Amy Wheeler-Sutton at amy.wheeler-sutton@uvm.edu


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.