- Agency of Education, State of Vermont and Federal Updates
- Family Engagement Networking Session
- Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults with Disordered Eating: A Multidisciplinary Training May 23, 2022
- Vermont Mobile Crisis Services Survey Closes Friday, April 29, 2022
- Linking Health and Learning Newsletter, April 2022
- Public Comment Period for Proposed Change to Vermont’s Perkins V State Plan
- Student Member Sought for State Board of Education
- Vermont PBS: April Resources to Celebrate the Earth
- Courtesy Posts
Agency of Education, State of Vermont and Federal Updates
This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains posts from the Agency of Education, other State of Vermont agencies, federal agencies or Vermont's congressional delegation.
Family Engagement Networking Session
Audience: Family Engagement Personnel, Administrators
Please join the Agency of Education Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports Team for a new series of monthly Family Engagement Networking Sessions. The next Family Engagement Networking Session is April 27, 2022, from 1-2 p.m. These are informal monthly, one-hour virtual sessions for family engagement colleagues to connect, hear updates, bring ideas and discuss problems of practice regarding family engagement. Sharing Power and Responsibility will be the focus for April. Also, save the date for May’s Family Engagement Networking Session which will be held on May 25, 2022, from 1-2 p.m.
Contact: Nancy Hellen at Nancy.Hellen@vermont.gov
Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults with Disordered Eating: A Multidisciplinary Training May 23, 2022
Audience: all
The Department of Mental Health is pleased to announce an upcoming virtual training on Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults with Disordered Eating: A Multidisciplinary Training on May 23, 2022, with speakers from the University of Vermont Medical Center Eating Disorder Consultation Clinic, The Adams Center, University of Vermont, Centerpoint and panelists from the field. The target audience for this training event is primary care providers and related healthcare professionals (e.g. nurses, PAs), dietitians, mental health providers, and school health and mental health staff. Registration is covered through several federal grants. Continuing Education Unit/Continuing Medical Education is pending. Registration info can be found on the Zoom registration webpage.
Contact: Laurel Omland at laurel.omland@vermont.gov or (802) 828-6553
Vermont Mobile Crisis Services Survey Closes Friday, April 29, 2022
Audience: all
Vermont has a federal grant to support the expansion of community-based mobile crisis intervention services. This funding provides an opportunity to build on Vermont’s mobile crisis system of care. The Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) wants to hear your thoughts and experiences about mobile crisis services. Your input is vital in helping Vermont improve services. On behalf of AHS, Health Management Associates is conducting this survey. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete. The survey can be found on the Vermont Mobile Crisis Services Survey webpage. All individual survey responses will be kept confidential. We will not identify individuals or organizations and no personal information will be shared. The survey will close Friday, April 29, 2022. For more information about the project, please visit the Mobile Crisis Services Planning Grant website and view the recording of the Virtual Town Hall. Please contact Raisa Alam at ralam@healthmanagement.com of Health Management Associates if you need help with the survey.
Contact: Laurel Omland at laurel.omland@vermont.gov or (802) 828-6553
Linking Health and Learning Newsletter, April 2022
Audience: Health Educators, Physical Educators, School Nurses, Guidance Counselors, Curriculum Directors, Principals, Superintendents, Higher Education
The April 2022 Linking Health and Learning newsletter is now posted on the Vermont Agency of Education Health and Physical Education webpages. This newsletter communicates pertinent information about Health and Physical Education as well as professional learning events and resources to support Vermont’s health and physical educators. This edition includes an update on the revision of SHAPE America Physical Education Standards and a special job posting.
Contact: Susan Yesalonia at susan.yesalonia@vermont.gov or (802) 828-6553
Public Comment Period for Proposed Change to Vermont’s Perkins V State Plan
Audience: CTE Directors, Superintendents
The Vermont Agency of Education seeks public comments on proposed changes to how the Agency awards Perkins Reserve Grants. The period for public comment is from Tuesday, April 19, 2022, through Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. Proposed changes and the public comment form can be found on the Proposed State Plan Revision Perkins Reserve Fund Use document.
Contact: Ruth Durkee at ruth.durkee@vermont.gov or (518) 321-6238
Student Member Sought for State Board of Education
Audience: Vermont Secondary Students – Graduating in 2024 or later
The Governor’s Office is seeking a candidate to serve on the State Board of Education as one of its two student representatives. The State Board of Education usually meets on the third Wednesday of every month and establishes policies, regulations and rules related to education in Vermont and in keeping with statutes passed by the Legislature. Meetings are typically scheduled from about 8 a.m. to mid-day and there might also be opportunities to serve on subcommittees of the Board. During the pandemic, the Board has continued to meet virtually each month via Microsoft Teams. This might change to in-person meetings, a hybrid option or some combination/rotation of meeting formats. Candidates may apply using the Application for Gubernatorial Appointment. The deadline for applications is April 29, 2022. Questions about the application or the nomination process itself can be emailed to EXE.Appointments@vermont.gov.
Contact: Suzanne Sprague at suzanne.sprague@vermont.gov or (802) 828-1130 or Maureen Gaidys at maureen.gaidys@vermont.gov or (802)-828-0047
Vermont PBS: April Resources to Celebrate the Earth
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for April 2022. Celebrate Earth Day and being outside with resources from PBS Learning Media and VPR. Other topics of interest include supporting conversations about Ukraine, upcycled art and helping kids become “citizen scientists.” We will continue to update 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 the VTEd Learns 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.
Vermont Energy Education Program Updates: Information Series
The Vermont Energy Education Program is here to help you get a head start on planning for the next academic year. Join one of our virtual information sessions on April 20 or May 5, 2022, and learn directly from our educators how we can support you in the upcoming academic year. These sessions will also be the perfect time to get all your questions answered. Register on the Information Sessions webpage.
Contact: Maria Smith at maria@veep.org
National Life Group's Beats for Good Contest
Submissions are open for high school musical acts in National Life Group's Beats for Good contest. All Vermont high school students who enter will have the chance to perform in front of thousands at the annual Do Good Fest and win a $5,000 cash prize for their school. Find more info and enter before May 15, 2022, on the Beats for Good website.
Contact: Ashley Chiu at achiu@strykermunleygroup.com
University of Vermont Summer Courses for Education and Social Services Professionals
The University of Vermont offers a variety of convenient and flexible summer courses to improve your practice, enhance your credentials and boost your career. Summer tuition is 30% less than academic-year tuition, and there are many classes to choose from over three sessions starting in May, June and July 2022. View course descriptions, instructors, dates, financial aid information and how to register on the College of Education and Social Services Courses webpage.
Contact: Doug Gilman at learn@uvm.edu or call 800-639-3210
Youth Lobby's Rally for the Planet
Youth Lobby is excited to announce that they are bringing back their annual Rally for the Planet on Friday, April 29, 2022, on the Statehouse Lawn! The Youth Lobby members are hoping to bring students together from across Vermont to discuss political issues that matter most to them with their legislators. This year there will also be a Green Jobs Fair so students can learn more about sustainable careers within Vermont. Youth Lobby hopes to see your students there, for more information or to register a field trip group please visit Youth Lobby's event page.
Contact: Erika Faulkner at Erika@Veep.org or YouthLobbyVT@gmail.com
Free Webinar Presented by Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
On April 26, 2022, from 6-7 p.m., Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) panelists will discuss how families can appeal their student’s college financial aid offers. Visit the VSAC calendar event for additional information.
Contact: Stephen Mease at mease@vsac.org
All Learners Network Summer Workshops and Courses
The All Learners Network (ALN) Coaches Academy 1 is a three-credit course that will take place on July 5-8, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., (with two follow-up dates in the fall), in-person at the ALN Learning Center in Burlington. This course is designed for mathematics coaches, math teacher leaders and instructional leaders. This course is based on current research which explores ideas for making change in effective teaching practices.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com
Vermont Destination Imagination Volunteers
It’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week…and Month, so Vermont Destination Imagination would like to recognize dedicated volunteers everywhere, especially our own volunteers who keep the program running for the benefit of kids. Vermont Destination Imagination’s staff, Board of Directors and Tournament Officials are all volunteers, and many people volunteer for Destination Imagination in their local communities. Do you have some volunteer spirit? Find out more about Destination Imagination and consider joining us.
Contact: Jane Youngbaer at vtdicreativity@gmail.com or (802) 272-2766
Professional Learning: Reading and the Brain (Orton-Gillingham Course)
Registration is open for the Reading and the Brain Orton-Gillingham course that begins July 7, 2022. This interactive course is designed for educators with a background in Orton-Gillingham or Structured Literacy who wish to learn more about the neuroscience of literacy and research-based strategies to improve reading and writing. Participants will leave with an in-depth understanding of phonological awareness, phonology, reading and spelling development, reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and grammar. Visit the Reading and the Brain course page to register. Grant funding is available. Visit the Application for Grant Funding for more details.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org
Discord Server for LGBTQ+ Educators in Vermont
TeachOut Vermont has recently launched a Discord server to help LGBTQ+ educators in Vermont build community and connect with each other. TeachOut chose Discord specifically because it honors privacy in ways that other social media platforms do not. Read more about Discord and TeachOut Vermont on the Discord Invitation document and please share the invitation with educators who might be interested in joining. The TeachOut Vermont Discord server is an affinity space for queer educators. Allies are invited to subscribe to our newsletter.
Contact: Hannah Miller at hannah.miller@northernvermont.edu or (802) 635-1322
Announcing VT Folklife Center's 2022 Summer Institute
The 2022 Vermont Folklife Center Summer Institute is presented in three modules this year with in-person and remote options. Each of these course offerings is focused on a specific aspect of the cultural documentation process as practiced by the Vermont Folklife Center. The courses can be standalone, but also complement each other. Two or three of the courses taken together would provide a well-rounded overview of the workflow of an ethnographically-informed documentation project. For more information and to register, visit the Vermont Folklife Summer Institute page.
Contact: Sasha Antohin at aantohin@vermontfolklifecenter.org