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Volume 16, Issue 4

January 25, 2022

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.

January Issue of Literary Learning: Newsletter for English Language Arts in Vermont

Audience: English Teachers, Literacy Coaches
The January issue of the bi-monthly newsletter, Literary Learning, is now available to read on the Agency of Education’s English Language Arts (ELA) webpage. This issue focuses on simple suggestions to support in-class or at-home learning and social-emotional health resources for teachers and students. Also included is an ELA Spotlight on Equity and Vermont PBS January resources. Be sure to subscribe to the Agency’s ELA listserv in order to stay informed about ELA in Vermont.
Contact: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov

2022 Kindergarten Conference: It’s Time to Play! Nurturing Each and Every Child’s Curiosity, Learning and Well-Being

Audience: Administrators, PreK, Kindergarten, and First Grade Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education, University of Vermont Early Childhood Birth-Grade 3 Program, the VT Head Start Collaboration Office and the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children invite you to participate in the 29th Annual Kindergarten Conference. This conference brings together kindergarten and primary level teachers, prekindergarten teachers, school and program administrators, pre-service teachers and teacher educators to explore evidence-based practices, discuss issues, learn from each other and become rejuvenated. The conference will take place on April 1, 2022, and will provide both virtual and face-to-face workshop options. Check out the Save the Date for more information and watch for registration details in February.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at Pat.Fitzsimmons@vermont.gov

January Arts Education Newsletter

Audience: Visual and Performing Arts Educators
The January Arts Education Newsletter is now available to read on the Agency of Education's Visual and Performing Arts webpage. This issue contains information on the Arts Teacher Mentor program, Arts Performance Assessment program and Arts Education Networks. Please be sure to contact Kyle Anderson to be added to the Agency's Arts Education listserv for future updates on arts learning in Vermont.
Contact: Kyle Anderson at kyle.anderson@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: January Resources to Welcome the New Year

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for January 2022. This month, strengthen students’ media literacy skills with activities and resources to help students think critically, communicate effectively and engage as active citizens. Other topics of interest include finding common ground through guided discussion, free learning games and podcasts, understanding race and racism, and examining identity. 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 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.

Vermont Energy Education Program Teaching Partnerships

The Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP) is excited to offer Teaching Partnerships again this semester! Teaching Partnerships are designed to be able to meet your needs as a K-12 educator and are therefore highly customizable. Our VEEP educators are equipped with a menu of options such as energy and climate workshops, equipment kits, curricula, storylines and other resources. We also offer a range of professional development opportunities, next-generation science standards mentoring and action project support. Visit our teaching partnerships and workshops webpage to learn more and sign up for a teaching partnership today.
Contact: Maria Smith at maria@veep.org

Annual Student Holocaust Education Competition

This school year has been challenging in so many ways. During difficult times, stories of Holocaust survivors inspire with lessons of hope and resilience. This school year, the Vermont Holocaust Memorial asks students to reflect on the following prompt using poetry, prose, art or film to answer the question: How does the story of one Holocaust survivor inspire you or give you hope in the face of today’s challenges? Cash prizes will be awarded. Visit the 2021-2022 Student Contest page for guidelines. Deadline for submissions is March 7, 2022.
Contact: Debora Steinerman at info@holocaustmemorial-vt.org

College and Career Pathways Registration is Now Open

This year’s college and career planning event will take place virtually on Saturday, March 5, 2022, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. High school families across the state are invited to attend this free online event to participate in live virtual workshops, discover free resources, get expert advice and meet with local representatives from Vermont colleges and training programs. To find out more information and to register, visit the event webpage.
Contact: Anna Telensky at telensky@vsac.org

Leadership for Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education: An Online Graduate Course

The Castleton University Center for Schools is offering a graduate level course on Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education beginning Jan. 31, 2022. This course is for educators who want to implement equity-centered and trauma-informed practices in their own classrooms and possibly make larger shifts within their schools and districts. The course will focus on the systems-change aspects of equity-centered trauma-informed education as well as ways to think about leadership in a trauma-informed way. Participants will connect research to daily practice and will learn how to build a community of change-makers. Instructor Alex Shevrin Venet, M.Ed., is an experienced educator and author of the book Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education. Visit the Center for Schools website for more information or to register.
Contact: Tara Lidstone at cfs@castleton.edu or (802) 345-0092

Shrinking the Curriculum: Shifting from Breadth to Depth

There is simply too much to teach within any given academic year, especially as we continue to navigate through this pandemic. Rushing to “cover the content” is not sustainable, nor does it provide depth or allow time for social-emotional learning and thoughtful classroom-based interventions. This full-day virtual workshop on Feb. 1, 2022, focuses on the concept of a guaranteed and viable curriculum and how to prioritize what we teach. Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT-HEC) is presenting this 3-part series that aims to support the ongoing implementation of Act 173, VTmtss and proficiency-based learning. The strategies and practices discussed are salient to both our efforts with educational recovery and redesign and our efforts to increase educational equity and inclusion. Participants may choose to attend one, some or all of the workshops. All are taught by Andrew B. Jones.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or 802-498-3350

All Learners Network: Math Intervention for Interventionists and K-4 Teachers

The Math Intervention for Interventionists and K-4 Teachers workshop will be held virtually on Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, 2022. As the pandemic draws on, everyone is concerned about our most vulnerable students. Drawing on his 30 years in schools, education research and experience as a math leader in the U.S. and abroad, All Learners Network Founder John Tapper will facilitate an engaging virtual learning experience aimed at K-4 intervention.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com

Registrations Are Still Available for the Vita-Learn Chief Technology Officer Clinic

In partnership with the Consortium for School Network, a national non-profit that supports school IT operations, Vita-Learn is hosting a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Clinic on Feb. 23, 2022, at the Davis Center on the University of Vermont campus. The event is intended for all school IT professionals. This year’s CTO Clinic will focus on Cybersecurity including how schools secure data (student, teacher, staff and institutional), networks, clients and establish supporting policies. Districts are encouraged to send teams of IT staff. For more information and to register, please visit the Vita-Learn webpage.
Contact: Jeff Mao at jeff@vita-learn.org or (207) 798-2460

Help School Nurses Strive for Professional Excellence

Professional excellence is improved by working closely with excellent professionals. Vermont State School Nurses Association (VSSNA) membership is a dual registration with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). Ask your school district to pay the annual membership fee of $140.50. Membership provides peer-reviewed professional resources, templates, webinars, continuing education credits and priceless peer interaction. Visit the VSSNA membership page to join or learn more about our organization by visiting our FAQ page.
Soph Hall, DNP, MEd, RN, at soph.hall@vssna.org

Orton-Gillingham for Intervention: Associate Level

Applications are now open until Jan. 31, 2022, for the Orton-Gillingham for Intervention: Associate Level course, beginning Aug. 1, 2022. This professional learning course is offered through the Stern Center for Language and Learning. You will learn both the structure of the English language and how to teach it sequentially and systemically to struggling readers including students with dyslexia. This cumulative 70-hour course and 100-hour practicum meet the Orton-Gillingham Academy’s Associate Level training requirements with the goal of earning certification at the associate level. Visit the course page to register. Grant funding is available.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org

Working With Adults: A Dialogue Facilitated by Youth

As youth, we are often challenged to be assertive, to be our own #1 supporter and to not silence ourselves in work with adults. We want to share our experiences as a way of strengthening our voices and supporting each other. Please join UP for Learning Youth Advisory Council to share your experience, reflection and learning about working as youth-adult partners. The dialogue will focus on our successes and challenges, as well as our strategies and practices when working in partnership with adults. UP’s Youth Advisory Council members will facilitate the dialogue using the fishbowl protocol adapted from the Learning for Justice model. We welcome all youth and adult partners, teams and interested individuals. Visit the Zoom meeting registration page to sign up.
Contact: Harry Frank at harry@upforlearning.org or (802) 989-4913

Discover Engineering Month Activities

The Vermont 4-H Program and the University of Vermont 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. Note: some of the activities have changed from in-person to virtual, been canceled or new ones added. 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, How Did You Get There? and 4-H Teen Time: Career Exploration. Information and registration can be found on the 4-H announcement page.
Contact: Lauren Traister at Lauren.Traister@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.