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.
Food Resource Flyer to Share with Households
Audience: All
With the winter break approaching, the AOE is asking for your help in sharing information about food resources for households with children. Last year, many schools were able to provide meals to students over breaks, but most schools are not able to do that this year. As a result, we want to be sure households know how to get food for their children while schools are on vacation. Hunger Free Vermont has created a flyer on accessing Vermont food programs. Please share this flyer widely. The electronic version contains live links that will allow people to quickly connect with a variety of food resources and assistance, but it can also be printed for distribution.
Contact: Rosie Krueger at Mary.Krueger@vermont.gov
What-if Wednesday
Audience: Superintendents, Principals and School Crisis Planning Team Members
The What-if Wednesday Edition II - 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, at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448
Public Comment Period: Vermont School Counseling Framework
Audience: Superintendents, Principals/CTE Directors, School Counselors, School-Based Clinicians, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, Flexible Pathways Coordinators, Special Education Administrators, General Public
The Agency of Education (AOE) and the Vermont School Counselor Association (VTSCA) are requesting public comments on the proposed “Vermont School Counseling Framework.” The framework was developed by VTSCA. Comments will be used to inform modifications to the framework which will then be considered for adoption by the AOE. Commenters are directed to this form to submit comments. The comment period is open from Dec. 15, 2021 to Jan. 15, 2022.
Contact: Jay Ramsey at jay.ramsey@vermont.gov
Vermont PBS: December Resources to Celebrate Winter and School Vacation
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for December. This month, celebrate winter and school vacation with activities and resources to send home with students. Other topics of interest include social-emotional learning, VPR podcasts about Latin American music, recycling laws and Abenaki people in Vermont today. We will be updating this webpage monthly, so check back often to find new featured resources related to monthly themes and organized by grade band and subject area. Also, visit the Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources. To share resources and network with colleagues, join the Vermont PBS Educational Resources group on Edmodo. Activate your Edmodo account and join the VTED Learns community by filling out this form.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org
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.
Professional Education: Data-Based Curricular Leadership
Registration is open for Data-Based Curricular Leadership at the Upper Valley Educators Institute. Many school leaders share a common frustration: how to transform mountains of data on student achievement into an action plan that will improve instruction and increase student learning. Through this inquiry you’ll gain the tools to lead a data-based inquiry cycle, working with faculty groups to examine data, make appropriate inferences and link that data to plans for meaningful action. Begins in January of 2022.
Contact: Kristen Downey at kristendowney@uvei.org or (603) 678-4888
All Learners Network: Math for All Learners Virtual Series
Starting Jan. 10, 2022, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and continuing until March 8 (for six 2-hour sessions), Chris Farnham and Ashley Marlow will be teaching this core content. These workshops are the principles of teaching for equity and the closing of achievement gaps. They are also a good introduction to the other workshops offered by the All Learners Network. Visit the event webpage to register.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com
Professional Learning: Social Studies C-3: Using Inquiry to Study Racial Injustice
Registration is open for Dr. Kathy Swan: Countering the Past of Least Resistance: Inquiry as a Tool for Teaching Hard History. This virtual 3-hour seminar, with the C-3 Project Lead, will be held on April 6, 2022, either at 8:30-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-3:30 p.m. (allowing for full-day substitute sharing). This seminar includes Dr. Swan's latest book: Blueprinting: An Inquiry-Based Curriculum. Grade 6-12 teachers realize teaching 'hard history' is essential for understanding who we are, how we got here and what hope lies ahead. Calls for racial justice and discussions about structural racism are front and center in communities. In this session, Dr. Swan will examine teaching hard history using the Inquiry Design Model - with the core elements of inquiry to help build a deeper understanding of a complex idea and a greater facility with tools of inquiry.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642
Save the Dates - Discover Engineering
The Vermont 4-H Program and the UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences have teamed up to host a variety of programs for grades 3-12 the entire month of February 2022 to promote the field of engineering. Our goal is to expose youth to engineering, build skills and help youth understand different pathways they can take to pursue a future as an engineer. Check out all of the different free learning opportunities happening during the month – all leading up to National Engineering Week, Feb. 20-26, 2022. Activities include: Create Your Own Invention Contest, Rube Goldberg Challenge, 4-H World Changers: Learn to Code, VTeen 4-H Science Pathways Cafes, 4-H@Home Engineering Activities and the hallmark event, Discover Engineering on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at the UVM Davis Center and other campus locations. Information and registration will be posted soon for all programs.
Contact: Lauren Traister at Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu