Volume 16, Issue 22

June 1, 2022

Agency of Education, State of Vermont and Federal Updates
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.

BEST/Act 230 Grant Applications Due June 30, 2022

Audience: Superintendents, Directors of Special Education, Curriculum Coordinators, Principals, Early Education Coordinators, Business Managers
Applications for FY23 BEST/Act 230 grants are currently open. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis until June 30, 2022. Act 230 funds are intended for the training of teachers, administrators and other personnel in the provision of education services to children who require educational supports for academics and/or behavior in each tier of the multi-tiered system of supports. BEST funds are intended for training and professional learning to support teachers, administrators and other personnel in creating equitable, rigorous learning environments for students with emotional and behavioral needs.
Contact: Laura Greenwood at laura.greenwood@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: Summer of Possibilities

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS continue our partnership to meet the anywhere, anytime, educational, social and emotional needs of Vermont students. Visit the Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find online and printable resources connected to Montshire Museum’s Leonardo da Vinci Machines in Motion Exhibit, Seven Days’ Good Citizen Challenge and more. 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 Network form.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org

Reimbursement Available for Remediation of Lead in Drinking Water

Audience: Superintendents, Principals and Facilities Managers
Act 66 of 2019 required all Vermont schools to test their drinking and cooking water for lead by December 31, 2021, and to remediate any taps with results at or above 4 ppb. School districts, supervisory unions and independent schools can be reimbursed for the actual cost of remediation, including parts and labor. Review the cost reimbursement section on the Vermont Department of Health website for more details on eligible remediation actions and for instructions on submitting a request for reimbursement.
Contact: Roxanne Karimi at leadschool@vermont.gov

Grant Program Announcement: Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Audience: Individuals or Agencies Qualified to Provide Services Outlined in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Grant Application
The Vermont Agency of Education is seeking proposals from qualified individuals or agencies to improve local educational team’s capacities to implement research-based interventions and current best practices in the field of education. The grantee will provide services to individual students aged 3-22 and their educational teams, provide professional development training and consultation to educators and professionals in the field and work in collaboration with other statewide consultants as appropriate. The Deaf and Hard of Harding Grant document provides information about this grant program.
Contact: Chris Case at aoe.sssdivisionleadsteam@vermont.gov

Rail Safety Video for Distribution to All Educators in Advance of Summer Break and the Newly Expanded Ethan Allen Express Amtrak Service

Audience: Educators, Principals, Superintendents, Education Technology Directors, Parents
The Vermont Agency of Transportation and Operation Lifesaver of Vermont, Inc. prepared a short video for you to consider including in your curricula, hopefully before summer break. As noted in our prior outreach earlier this spring, the Ethan Allen Express train is being extended into new communities from Rutland to Burlington beginning in July, and the qualifying runs are ongoing. Operation Lifesaver, Inc.'s excellent instruction materials and public service announcements are also free and available for use.
Contact: Toni Clithero at Toni.H.Clithero@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.

Regional Youth Tobacco Summit

The American Heart Association is hosting a two-day youth tobacco summit on June 7, 2022, at 3 p.m. and June 8 at 4 p.m. Young advocates from across the eastern states will be coming together virtually to talk about how they can take action to end tobacco use among youth. The American Heart Association invites Vermont youth to exchange ideas with youths from other states about new and fresh ways to use their voice to build a healthier world. There will be fun activities, giveaways and special guests. Please help us spread the word. Registration and more information can be found on the Eastern States Youth Tobacco Summit webpage.
Contact: Rebecca Scharler at rebecca.scharler@heart.org

Early Education Practice Based Coaching Training

Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) is an evidence-based system designed to change teacher practices and improve children's outcomes. Programs with trained coaches succeed in two ways; there is a direct impact on learning outcomes by improving teaching practices and coaching costs are significantly reduced, making coaching sustainable. Pyramid 802 Plus is offering a practice-based coaching training (virtually or in-person training) in August 2022. Interested participants can answer the PBC Training Survey to help determine the best dates and format for this offering.
Contact: Beth Peloquin at beth@pyramid802plus.live or (802) 233-6667

Introduction to Essential Math for College and Careers: Professional Development Opportunity for Vermont High School Math Teachers

Join other dynamic educators for a week-long workshop from July 25 to July 29, 2022, at the Langevin House on Vermont Technical College’s beautiful Randolph campus. Topics will include using formative assessment effectively, crafting instructional strategies to engage students fully, sharing ideas for building a rich learning environment and utilizing performance-based assessment throughout the course. Attendees will earn 30 professional learning hours for the week. Visit the Essential Math for College & Careers webpage for more information.
Contact: Anita Long at long@vsac.org

All Learners Network: Supporting Ambitious Teaching

Supporting Ambitious Teaching is a three-credit course that will take place on Aug 8-10, 2022, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the East Side Restaurant, Newport, VT,' with four follow-up dates in the fall of 2022. Educators are required to create rich learning experiences for all students in the area of mathematics. Students enter into classrooms with a wide variety of life experiences that are shaped by culture, race and economic status. Teachers, therefore, must equip themselves with mathematics content knowledge and resources that allow for equal access to rich learning opportunities to meet the needs of all students. This course is designed for classroom teachers, special educators and math interventionists at all grade levels K-8.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com

Vermont Destination Imagination Report from Global Finals and at Home

Destination Imagination Global Finals 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri, gave elementary, middle, secondary and university level teams the opportunity to present their challenge performances in competition, and to celebrate together with others from most U.S. states and several other countries. This friendly, peaceful gathering was fun, inspiring and uplifting. You don’t have to go that far to enjoy Destination Imagination. Vermont Destination Imagination can bring creative fun to any community in the state this summer and fall. Please contact us for more information about workshops, events and the Challenge Experience.
Contact: Jane Youngbaer at vtdicreativity@gmail.com or (802) 272-2766

Joy Write: Time, Choice and Response for Developing Writers

Partnerships for Literacy and Learning (PLL) presents this new three-credit course through Saint Michael’s College, July 6 - August 16, 2022, for K-8 teachers. Participants will read and reflect upon Joy Write: Cultivating High-Impact, Low-Stakes Writing, written by Ralph Fletcher, while examining their own practices and those of other influential teachers of literacy. They will examine the set-up for a writers’ workshop as well as what is needed to teach and support student writers. Registration and details can be found on the PLL Professional Learning Courses webpage.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521

Call for Proposals: Vermont Suicide Prevention Center Fall Symposium

The Vermont Suicide Prevention Center is seeking workshop presenter proposals for the Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium, which takes place virtually on Sep. 29, 2022. Proposals are due on June 10, 2022, and all chosen presenters will be eligible to receive compensation. If interested please learn more about Proposal Guidelines and Topics and submit them on that dedicated webpage.
Contact: Kirk Postlewaite at kirk@healthandlearning.org

Vermont Biodiversity Educators Institute

North Branch Nature Center (NBNC) still has a few spaces available in our summer Vermont Biodiversity Educators Institute for 7-12 grade teachers. This week-long investigation of Vermont biodiversity is designed for middle and high school teachers looking to incorporate nature-based concepts and activities across their curricula. You can find the details for all of our teacher professional development courses on the Educator Institutes at NBNC webpage.
Contact: Chelsea Clarke Sawyer at chelsea@northbranchnaturecenter.org