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Volume 16, Issue 8

February 23, 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.

Parent Information Sessions on Rule Changes

Audience: All
The Agency of Education Special Education Team will be hosting two Parent Information Sessions on Special Education Rule Changes on Feb. 28, 2022. Please share this flyer with the parents in your districts.
Contact: Christopher Kane at christopher.kane@vermont.gov

Peer Review Panelists Wanted

Audience: Currently Licensed Vermont Educators
The Agency of Education’s Peer Review Program needs licensed, Level II educators to serve as Panelists. Panelists receive $125 per interview. The work of a panelist involves evaluating a candidate’s portfolio (approximately 2-4 hours) and participating in the interview process (approximately 1-2 hours). Interviews are online and scheduled based on your convenience. If you are interested, complete the online Small Scale Education Contract Survey by March 15, 2022. The areas of greatest need for Panelists are Work Based Learning Coordinator, Art and School Social Worker, but all are welcome to submit if interested.
Contact: Ryan McCormick at Ryan.McCormick@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 day will open with stories from several Vermont schools where kindergarten teachers and administrators offer children ample time and meaningful opportunities to learn and grow across all domains - cognitive, emotional, social and physical - through play. Morning workshops will be virtual while in the afternoon face-to-face workshops will be taking place around the state. Locations include ECHO in Burlington, the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, the Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center, the Vermont Institute for Natural Science in Quechee, and the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury. Please see the Save the Date 2022 – 29th Annual Kindergarten Conference Flyer for additional information.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov

Spring Core VTPBIS Leadership Trainings

Audience: All Current or Prospective SU/SD or School PBIS Teams
Is your school ready to begin the journey of PBIS Implementation? Is your team ready to revive, refresh, renew or ready to build your Targeted and Intensive Systems? Register by March 1, 2022, for the March 31 and April 1, 2022, Trainings at the Killington Grand. Please see the VTPBIS website to learn more and to register your team for Universal, Targeted, Intensive or Refresher training. Contact Anne Dubie at anne.dubie@uvm.edu with questions.
Contact: Meg Porcella at meg.porcella@vermont.gov

2023 Vermont Teacher of the Year Nominations Open

Audience: All
Did a colleague in your building differentiate herself during the pandemic? Did a specific teacher make you or your child feel more connected? Is there teacher who you think has never received acknowledgement for his innovation in the classroom? Now is your chance to celebrate that great work by nominating an educator as the Vermont Teacher of the Year. Any currently practicing, licensed teacher in Vermont is eligible for nomination. Nominations are open now through March 17, 2022.
Contact: Patrick Halladay at aoe.vtoy@vermont.gov

Coordinated Services Plan Form Has Been Updated

There have been a few items brought to our attention since the last Coordinated Services Plan was updated three years ago. In an effort to address those items, please find a revised Coordinated Services Plan (CSP) and revised Facilitator’s Guide on the Integrating Family Services Website.
Contact: Cheryle Wilcox at Cheryle.Wilcox@vermont.gov or (802) 760-9171

Davis-Bacon Webinar from the US Department of Labor

Audience: Business Managers
The US Department of Labor is hosting two webinars on Davis-Bacon on Feb. 28 and 29, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. These are not specific to school construction, but may provide useful background for Business Managers. As a reminder, any school construction projects that utilize federal funds (ESSER, ARP Indoor Air Quality, etc) are required to meet the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements for construction contracts over $2,000. The webinar is free, but preregistration is required to attend. More information can be found on the US Department of Labor website.
Contact: Jill Briggs-Campbell at jill.briggscampbell@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: February Resources to Celebrate Black History Month

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for February 2022. Celebrate Black History Month with resources from PBS Parents and PBS Learning Media. Other topics of interest include social emotional learning for students and teachers, being outside, current events and climate change. Plus, check out the research report about how Molly of Denali can help teach children to use and create informational text. 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.

Applications Open for AgroTek Innovation Academies

This new program is a free, week-long summer science opportunity at UVM for teens, offered by UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and UVM Extension/4-H. Anyone currently in Grade 7-12 and with an interest in biotechnology is encouraged to apply, especially youths from groups underrepresented in agriculture and science. Two academies - "Culturing Cells for Healthier Soils" and "Shifting the Waste to Value Paradigm" - will be held concurrently on the University of Vermont (UVM) campus from June 26 to July 1, 2022, including lab time, field trips and mentoring. Participants will return to campus on August 5, 2022, for an Innovation Slam, a pitch-style competition to share outreach projects demonstrating what they learned. Applications are due by April 1, 2022. Visit the UVM Extension 4-H and Youth website to learn more and to apply.
Contact: Sarah Kleinman at mailto:sarah.kleinman@uvm.edu

Leadership in Literacy: What Every Administrator Needs to Know to Help All Learners and Teachers be Successful in Literacy

Calling Principals (and Curriculum Directors): Partnerships for Literacy and Learning (PLL) presents this graduate class for Elementary Building Leaders, which is designed to take a broad look at literacy instruction across an elementary school. We will explore the types of experiences all children need if they are to be successful in their literacy achievement. School-level leaders will come away from this course with solid knowledge of what to look for within the literacy instruction of individual classrooms and across multiple grade levels. A focus of the work will be to better understand the attributes of schools that are successful in strong literacy attainment goals: This 2-credit class through Saint Michaels is 5+ online modules from March 2 through May 20, 2022. Registration and more details can be found on the Professional Learning Courses page.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521

Vermont Family Network Free Workshop: Restraints and Seclusions in Vermont Schools

In Restraints and Seclusions in Vermont Schools: What Rule 4500 Means for You and Your Child on March 10, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Tracy Harris, Coordinator for Social, Emotional and Behavioral Supports at Vermont Agency of Education, will present information about the purpose of the rule, what is and is not permitted, and details regarding reporting, evaluation, and debriefing will be discussed. Hypothetical scenarios will be used for illustrative purposes. There will be time allotted for questions and answers. If you are unable to attend, please register anyway and you will receive an email with a link to the recording which you can watch on your own time. Please for Restraints and Seclusions in Vermont Schools: What Rule 4500 Means for You and Your Child online.
Contact: Rachel Boyers at rachel.boyers@vtfn.org

All Learners Network: Formative Assessment

This workshop, Formative Assessment, will be held virtually, on Zoom, on March 29, 2022, from 4-6 p.m. The goal of this workshop is for participants to strengthen their use of formative assessment data in their math classrooms and intervention spaces. We will discuss helpful sources for formative assessments, habits to strive for when looking at student work, and how to build a response to the data throughout your balanced math block. Note: Participants should come with a recent set of their own students' work to use throughout this workshop.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com

Professional Learning: Fundations Workshops

Registration is open for Fundations® Workshops, offered this Spring. These professional learning courses are offered through the Stern Center for Language and Learning. Fundations® is a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling, and handwriting program that benefits all K-3 students. Each Fundations® level-specific workshop provides the practice and guidance you need to effectively begin teaching the Fundations® curriculum for your designated Level(s). Visit the course page to register. Grant funding is available.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org

Castleton University Center for Schools: Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

March and April Castleton University Center for Schools graduate courses are filling fast. To view the listing, course descriptions, and to reserve your space visit the Castleton University Continuing Education website.
Contact: Tara Lidstone at tara.lidstone@castleton.edu or (802) 345-0092

Dairy Grant Opportunity for School Meals

New England Dairy is pleased to announce a funding opportunity from New England Dairy Farmers to eligible schools in Vermont to support food service needs related to expanding summer or school meal programs or serving new dairy menu items in the summer of fall of 2022.  New for 2022 schools can apply for our turn-key smoothie kit. Deadline to apply: March 31, 2022. Visit NewEnglandDairy.com or contact Jill Hussels for more information.
Contact: Jill Hussels at jhussels@newenglanddairy.com


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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 aoe.edinfo@vermont.gov.