- 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 Resources for Back to School
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS continue to partner to support learning for Vermont students this fall. This partnership provides access to free educational programming, curricular connections, off-line kits, and distance learning tutorials. The Vermont PBS Kids and Education: August 2021 document includes resources for back to school. Find resource collections for in classroom or virtual learning at Vermont PBS or on the Agency of Education’s Vermont PBS webpage. This year, curated collections and resources are highlighted by age-band, content, and access point (interactive, online, printable, offline) for flexible use. FREE Teacher Professional Development series connections are available on topics like culturally responsive teaching, technology integration, and more.
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.
Parent, Family and Community Engagement Web Page
Audience: Administrators, Home School Liaisons
The Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union website is featured as a Family and Community Engagement Highlight. Check out features that promote two-way communication and partnership with families as well as a variety of community resources. Other sections on the AOE Parent, Family and Community Engagement web page include Early Education, Requirement, Applications and Laws, Special Education, Student Learning and Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports.
Contact: Nancy Hellen at Nancy.Hellen@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.
Vermont Higher Eduation Collaborative Work-Based Learning (VT-HEC WBL) Course: Developing and Redesigning Your Work-Based Learning Program
The Developing and Redesigning your Work-Based Learning Program course is ideal for those new to work-based learning or those who want to refine their existing program. This course will give participants the opportunity to design the format and systems of a WBL program that works for their particular role and school. Instructed by Pamela Hemingway, this course will cover creating a new program or redesigning an existing program that aligns with your school’s goals and available resources, outreach to new community partners and systems to help build and maintain those relationships and other tools and strategies that will help you to effectively manage all aspects of your program.
Contact: Kim McKellar at kim.mckellar@vthec.org.
Partnerships for Literacy and Learning
Join Partnerships for Literacy and Learning for a 4-part seminar on Phonemic Awareness, Phonics and Word Analysis, Early Reading and English Language: The Information Teachers Need to Make Good Decisions. Marjorie Y. Lipson, Deb Boucher, and Sara Blake will be facilitating this seminar for teachers of Gr K-2. It is designed to update and expand teachers’ knowledge and expertise in areas that are critical for early reading success. Each participant will have the opportunity to do a “home renovation” on their own reading program.
Contact: info@pllvt.org or Mary Grace at 802.828.0521
Professional Development: Peer Coaching: Supporting Evidence-Based Literacy Practices in Schools
Registration is open for Peer Coaching: Supporting Evidence-Based Literacy Practices in Schools, a professional development course by the Stern Center for Language and Learning. This online course is designed for school practitioners and coaches who have advanced knowledge of structured literacy and would like to learn strategies to increase implementation of these practices in their schools. Registration due by August 23, 2021.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org
Help Your Students THRIVE - Schedule A Workshop Today!
4-H has been helping youth thrive for over 100 years! Through experiential learning activities we deliver high quality programs framed in a positive youth development context. Let us work with your middle and high school students to intentionally focus on the development of critical life skills/transferable skills such as team building, problem solving, communication and more. Learn more at the 4-H Announcements page.
Contact: Lauren Traister at Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu or 802-888-4972 x 402.
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 multi-day artist residencies and arts-integrated projects in their schools. The application is currently open and will close when the funds are exhausted. Funds are to be used to pay teaching artists. Schools may apply for an additional $250 for materials to be purchased from the teaching artist or to promote student safety during the pandemic. While priority is given to projects with Vermont teaching artists in residence from the Council’s Teaching Artist Roster, schools my apply to work with other Vermont- based teaching artists. Artists collaborate with classroom teachers to ensure that the residency meets classroom learning objectives. Priority is given to projects that align with Council priorities.
Contact: Troy Hickman at thickman@vermontartscouncil.org or 802-402-4496.
Innovation & Creativity Course for Educators
Innovation & Creativity Course for Educators is a course to collaborate, explore and generate ideas with like-minded educators from around the state. Join this course and come away with a new, inspiring action plan on how to incorporate innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship into your curriculum. Open your students’ minds to new creative and innovative possibilities – focusing on: building a growth mindset, ideation generation, customer/stakeholder interviewing, problem solving/validation, leveraging failure, creativity and design thinking, decision making, financial modeling, integrating sustainability, pitching & storytelling.- 3 Graduate Credits (thru Castleton University) and/or 45 PD hours. Don’t miss an inspiring opportunity to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce!
Contact: Laurel Butler at lbutler@vtsbdc.org or (802) 922-3692