Test Kit Distribution

Dear Champlain Valley School District Community,

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities as Vermont students return to school, we are encouraging you to have each school-age child in your household take two COVID-19 rapid tests. The State will be providing kits to families of school-aged children through locations across the state so they can know their students return to school healthy and ready to start the new year. The tests are not a requirement for students to return to school.

1. The Vermont Department of Health has distribution sites throughout the state over the next two days (Thursday, Dec. 30 and Friday, Dec. 31). Parents and caregivers should register their school-age children to pick up a kit at a site near them. To register for an appointment to schedule a time to pick up your student’s kits, please go to healthvermont.gov/student-testing.
2. Once you have collected a test kit, please have your student(s) take these tests at least 24 hours apart, starting two days before school begins. So, if your child begins school on January 3, 2022, they should take the first test on January 1 and the second test on January 2.
3. If your child’s test is positive, please report the positive test result to the health department (Go to: Healthvermont.gov/testing and use the “online form to report your results”). Please also share that information with us by sending an email with your child’s name, school, and grade to cvsdcovid@cvsdvt.org. Follow instructions for What to do if you test positive (Go to: Healthvermont.gov/covid-19/symptoms-sickness/).
4. If both of your child’s tests are negative and they are asymptomatic, they can return to school.
5. As of now, the Vermont Department of Health has not changed the timeline for the isolation of positive cases from 10 days. We will, of course, keep families and caregivers posted if/when that changes.

For additional guidance about COVID-19, consult the health department. Any child experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home from school regardless of their test result. Families should continue to monitor their students for COVID symptoms daily. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some people have reported additional symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parents and guardians of students or staff exhibiting symptoms are asked to contact their family physician, the Vermont Department of Health, and the school nurse. As always, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is our top priority.

Thank you, again, for helping keep Vermont and our schools healthy.

Rene Sanchez, Superintendent

CVSD Update December 22, 2021

 

December 22, 2021

Dear CVSD Community,

First, we apologize for the length of this letter. We want to provide an update about measures to protect against COVID and what to do if there is a positive case in the near future, especially over the winter break from school. New information was coming in each day this week and it extended the letter! This letter is also available, like all communications, on our website and our blog for future reference.

As we prepare for a new year during this global pandemic, many members of our community have questions about the district’s plans for dealing with a potential rise in cases. This leads us to send out a request and several reminders as we head into the school vacation and holiday season. If you haven’t had a chance, please view the CVSD December newsletter. It may have been lost in the shuffle of emails last week about the TikTok challenge. There’s more information in the newsletter about COVID, including a timely letter from Dr. Leah Costello about staying safe this holiday season.

The Agency of Education has notified Vermont school districts that we will not contact trace positive COVID cases over break. This is because most positive cases would not have been infectious at school and therefore contact tracing and notification will not occur. It also provides a well-deserved break for our nurses, administrators, and faculty/staff who have been working tirelessly to support contact tracing this year.

Governor Scott announced holiday vaccination and testing clinics today. Learn more about those in this press release from the Governor’s office.

COVID + Results

Over the winter break, CVSD would like to collect information about positive cases in order to monitor the number and locations of cases across our system. This way, our principals and administration can best prepare school staff and families for our return to school on January 3. Since the schools will not have personnel monitoring their main phone numbers daily, we are setting up an alternative method for informing the school and the district. Please, if your child tests positive over the school break, do not contact your local school. Instead, please send a message to this email address (cvsdcovid@cvsdvt.org) and provide the student's name, school, and whether the positive result was determined from a rapid test or PCR. You will then receive some information about what to do next. This email address will be monitored daily and will help our schools and the district plan for January 3.

Vaccines

Vaccinations (plus boosters for those eligible) are very effective at preventing infections from developing into serious illness. They also help us keep our schools open. As you likely know, all children ages 5 and up are eligible for COVID vaccines. Those who are 16 and up are eligible for a booster shot, 6 months after their last dose.

CVU will host an upcoming COVID vaccine clinic (for initial vaccines or boosters) on January 12 and February 2 between 9:00-3:00. You can also visit healthvermont.gov/KidsVaccine or call 855-722-7878 to schedule a vaccine.

Record of COVID Vaccination

For those with children who are fully vaccinated, (after the second dose) please let your school’s nurse know by emailing them with your child’s name, grade, and if possible, a photo of the vaccination card. You can find the contact information for your school’s nurse here. This is important because the more vaccinated students we have, the fewer need to participate in Test to Stay.

Test to Stay Update

We will continue our implementation of Test to Stay after the students return from Winter Break. As a reminder, the Test to Stay program is for students who are NOT vaccinated, are asymptomatic, and who may have had an exposure to COVID-19 at school. Based on the way that the Omicron variant is spreading around the country, we wanted to provide notice that should the number of students who need to use the program rise to the point where we cannot adequately staff the program, we may have to revert to quarantining unvaccinated students. Please consider getting your child vaccinated if you have not done so already.

In addition, you may have seen that some of our nearby districts have had to close schools due to the staffing shortages in the run-up to winter break. Should we have to follow a similar path, we will attempt to provide you with as much notice as possible so you can plan for the school’s closing.

COVID Support in Multiple Languages

The Vermont Language Justice Project has provided translated information in 10 different languages in support of sharing important information around COVID-19 with as many people as possible. You can view the videos online here.

Families should continue to monitor their students for COVID symptoms daily. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some people have reported additional symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parents and guardians of students or staff exhibiting symptoms are asked to contact their family physician, the Vermont Department of Health, and the school nurse and not send students to school until it is confirmed that they have not tested positive. As always, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is our top priority. 

Patience, adherence to reliable and trusted science and public health guidance, and caring for each other as a community is required now more than ever. We are committed to doing so and ask all members of the CVSD community to do the same.

Rene Sanchez, Superintendent

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If you need other assistance during the break, please consider these resources:

• First Call - 488-7777: phone support, crisis intervention, assessment, and referrals
• In Crisis: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) (National Hopeline Network: USA)
• National Suicide Prevention Life line- 1-800-273-TALK (8255), call or chat online
• Crisis Text Line - text HOME to 741741 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
• Outright Vermont - support for LGBTQ+ community
• UVM Breathe In Breath Out - How to deal with stress due to COVID-19
• Vermont 211 -Vermont database of resources and services
• Vermont Support Line (833) 888-2557) - peer support warmline open 247 - 365 for call or text
• COVID Counselors @ VT-211
• Teen Crisis Text Line - Crisis Text Line provides free emotional support and information to teens in any type of crisis, including feeling suicidal. You can text with a trained specialist 24 hours a day. Text “HOME” to 741741.
• Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide - Website where you can find information to help yourself or a friend who may be having thoughts of suicide.
• Trevor Lifeline - 1-866- 488-7386 - provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. It offers free, 24/7, confidential counseling. TrevorText—text START to 678-678; TrevorChat—instant messaging at TheTrevorProject.org/help. It also runs TrevorSpace, an affirming social networking site for LGBTQ youth at TrevorSpace.

Vermont Wildlife Education Fund Student Art Competition

From the CVU Art Department: 

We are proud to announce that several CVU students entered the Vermont Wildlife Art competition. Not only did our students submit work, but they also took home the 1st, 3rd, and honorable mention spots. You can see the full list of winners here. 

1st Place - Shakeh H., Grade 9, Champlain Valley Union

“The red eft played a huge role in my childhood. Its magnificent orange hue, its luminous transparent skin, and its large glassy eyes were and are a magical jewel in the forests of Vermont.”

Title: "Jewel of the forest"

Medium: Oils Size: h 20 inches X w 24 inches

3rd Place - Aren E., Grade 10, Champlain Valley Union

While driving home from babysitting, I narrowly avoided hitting a small rabbit. I was surprised but not too worried about it. Later in that same drive another bunny leaped in front of the car and froze. I slowed down but it was too late and I heard a thud and felt a small impact. I brought the car to a stop, got out and checked for the bunny. I did not see it, but I am pretty sure it did not survive the incident. I made this drawing to honor and remember that innocent bunny.

Gianna P., Grade 9. I chose to paint these fish because I go fishing a lot with my Dad. I think a lot times people forget how colorful Vermont fish really are because they are not ocean fish. They are very mysterious in the water. I wanted to paint them in watercolor to show how vibrant and colorful they really are!!!

Gianna P., Grade 9. I like to paint cardinals because of their color. I like how their color really pops against the snow in the winter time! Also, I like how they look a bit different in the brown trees in the spring!

Congratulations to these talented artists!

CCS Second Graders Craft A Poem About Their School

Second graders at Charlotte Central School have been learning about poetry. One focus has been poems of address. 

Here's a recent creation: 

CCS

By Room 107

You were the old place we saw

From far away

You were dirty and dingy.

You take care of us everyday.

You help us learn to read and write.

THANK

YOU

You take care of us by helping us have

Food, water, shelter, warmth

You protect us

We will take care of you.

Charlotte

Central

School

You deserve

New layers…new siding

Warmth…new windows

We will take care of you.

CVSD Update, December 16, 2021

 

Please see the December newsletter for information about a variety of topics, including:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) updates
• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• COVID updates (testing, vaccines, and a guest letter)
• Celebrations

and more!

Non-Credible School Violence Threats on TikTok

December 16, 2021

Hello CVSD Staff, Families, and Caregivers,

I wanted to alert you to information that CVSD and all Vermont school districts and supervisory unions received on the afternoon of December 15, 2021, from Secretary of Education Dan French regarding some non-credible school-based threats circulating on the TikTok social media platform.

These posts with non-credible school-based threats have made their way into Vermont, and other states in our region are reporting similar social media activity. These posts describe the potential for school-based violence on December 17, 2021. We want to stress again that, at this time, there is no credibility to any of these threats. The Vermont Intelligence Center and our law enforcement partners across the state will continue to monitor this situation and keep us updated if anything changes.

If you believe your child is active on social media and you feel it’s appropriate, please have a conversation with them to make them aware of this situation. As always, if you have any school safety concerns, we encourage you to contact your local law enforcement agency to make them aware of this information. We take these situations very seriously and collaborate closely with all of our school safety stakeholders to provide an open, safe and welcoming environment. The safety of your children and our staff is our number one priority.

If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify a school staff member or trusted adult right away.

We know that these non-credible threats may increase fear and anxiety in your student, your school, and within your family. As the lead representative of the school district and as a parent with students in CVSD schools, I can understand both of those emotions. We trust the information that we have received from the Agency of Education and the Vermont Intelligence Center regarding this issue. We hope to ease your student’s and your family’s concerns about these social media posts by sharing this letter.

Should we have any additional information presented to the district, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Thank you so very much,


Rene Sanchez, Superintendent

Champlain Valley School District

VT Pediatrician Shares A Letter with the Community

We thank Dr. Leah Costello for sharing this unsolicited letter with us. It addresses COVID, testing, colds, and more. Dr. Costello's words are helpful as we get closer to the holiday season and potentially more gatherings with others.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I write to you with high COVID case rates in Vermont, the news of the omicron variant, and the holidays approaching. Obviously, this is not how we were wanting to close out 2021. But there is hope. With vaccines and the right precautions, we can gather as small groups this holiday season and still keep our schools and community safe.

As a pediatrician and parent, I am relieved that school-aged children are eligible for the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Over 60% of children ages 5-11 in Chittenden County have received their first dose at the time of this letter! The CDC has recommended that all adults over age 18 should get a booster and just approved boosters for 16 to18-year-olds. If you or someone in your family has not received the COVID vaccine, now is the perfect time to get it. Your school nurse can help if your family requires assistance. If you have questions about the vaccine please talk to your physician or listen to one of these question and answer sessions.

An added safety measure this year is the use of testing before and after gatherings. If your entire family feels well, you can use two rapid antigen tests prior to gathering with others. Use one test the day before and one on the day of the gathering to ensure your negative result is accurate. To protect the community, we strongly recommend a PCR test 5-7 days after gathering. If you or anyone in your family is sick, please make the hard, but right, decision to skip your planned event and arrange PCR testing.

COVID is not the only virus we are seeing in our community. Unfortunately, without proper testing, there is no way to know if that mild runny nose is COVID or “just a cold”. We recommend that anyone with symptoms, even the most mild, stay home and be tested with a PCR test. If you choose to do a rapid test and it is negative, you must confirm with a PCR test and stay home until you are all better. This applies to vaccinated and unvaccinated children and adults. If at any point you receive a positive rapid or PCR test please stay home and follow the recommendations of the Vermont Department of Health.

Remaining at home if you are sick is of utmost importance this year. Even if your child is fully vaccinated or has a negative PCR test you must keep them home until they are all better. Sending your sick child to school puts others at risk. Risk of illness, risk of missing school, and risk of disruption for working parents. As a parent of 3 young kids, I understand how hard this is – and how it differs from the time before COVID. We thank you for your efforts.

We are fortunate to offer Test To Stay in many Vermont schools. This allows children who are exposed to COVID at school and who do not have any symptoms to remain at school. In this situation, we use daily rapid antigen tests administered at school. This is the only situation in

which we can use rapid testing for school entry. Children exposed to COVID outside of school and children who are sick are not eligible for Test To Stay.

The continued demands on families and schools are astounding. I am in awe of what our schools are doing on a daily basis to maintain the health of our school communities. And parents, wow, this has been the most challenging time to balance work and parenting. Everyone is doing their best. We are in this together and must hold each other up.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.

With Gratitude,

Leah Costello, MD

Timber Lane Pediatrics

Mosaic House Hikes for Hunger

Williston Central School’s Mosaic House has participated in the Hike for Hunger every year since 2009 (before that the team was called Lighthouse). Hike for Hunger raises money for Hunger Free Vermont, an organization that addresses food insecurity in Vermont. On October 21, 2021, the 83 students on Mosaic House along with teachers, staff and parents completed the two mile hike at Catamount Outdoor Center. This week, after all of the donations had been collected and tallied, they sent a record $2700.00 to Hunger Free Vermont.

Literacy Spotlight - Global Read Aloud 2021

This guest post was provided by CVSD's District Literacy Leader, Jensa Bushey


Librarians and literacy coaches across the Champlain Valley School District partnered to plan an experience for children in grades kindergarten through fourth grade in which a common set of books was read and discussed. To do this, we joined other educators across the world in a project called the Global Read Aloud. For elementary students, the Global Read Aloud featured picture books written by Duncan Tonatiuh and the book Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott.

We picked the Global Read Aloud as a focus point this year because it allowed us the opportunity to live out several parts of the CVSD literacy vision. This includes modeling joyful reading and writing and sharing diverse stories. Children explored the themes of celebrating differences, personal and cultural identity, and perseverance.

Here’s a visual diary of some of the reading, learning, and thinking that the Global Read Aloud brought to our schools.

An enthusiastic group of second grade students activate their prior knowledge before Cara Clopton, Allen Brook School Librarian, reads them The Princess and the Warrior by Duncan Tonatiuh.

Heidi Huestis, Charlotte Central School (CCS) Librarian, discusses what students notice about the cover of the book Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh. In the background, a digital storyboard displays Duncan’s books along with virtual links to read alouds.

Which book will be the ultimate favorite? Each week CCS students voted between two of Duncan Tonatiuh’s books to decide which moved ahead in the bracket! At Charlotte Central the favorite book was Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns.

In the Hinesburg Community School (HCS) Library, second graders engaged in an author study during Hispanic Heritage Month using The Princess and the Warrior and Diego Rivera: His World and Ours. Students paid attention to Duncan Tonatiuh’s illustration style, especially the ornate swirls and curves inspired by pre-Columbian Mixtec art. Students also took two virtual field trips: the first to Popocatépetl (one of the volcanoes from The Princess and the Warrior) using the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program, and the second to MoMA to see one of Rivera’s paintings.

This is a quick snapshot of of the volcano virtual field trip!

At Williston Central School (WCS), every grade 3-4 teacher was given a copy of Dragons in a Bag to read aloud to their class, and every grade 5-6 English Language Arts (ELA) teacher was given a classroom copy of The Jumbies.

During library time, 3rd & 4th grade students heard eight picture books by author Duncan Tonatiuh during the Global Read Aloud author study. They concluded the author study with a student vote for their favorite, and the most ancient story won: Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: a Mesoamerican Creation Myth.