A Statement from Superintendent Sanchez

 

Dear CVSD Community and Families,

We are writing in response to the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Burlington over the weekend. We know that law enforcement is working hard to determine what led to such an atrocity. The Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) expresses its unwavering opposition to hate speech, religious persecution, racism, and violence. 

We urge everyone to approach one another with compassion and empathy. As always, we offer support to those who might need it through school counselors, trusted staff members, and for staff, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

CVSD is committed to fostering a safe and nurturing environment for everyone. The district remains dedicated to growth and — especially — belonging for all as we continue to come to terms with what is happening nearby and in the global community. 

Thank you to all in our schools and at home for providing care and support for our students and one another.

Respectfully,

Rene Sanchez

CVSD Superintendent

CVSD Update November 2023

 

Dear Families, Caregivers, Faculty, and Staff, 

There are some exciting elements in the latest CVSD Update: 

• View a letter of thanks from Superintendent Sanchez
• Get a unique look at CVU's class of 2002 (yes, the date is correct)
• Learn about Harkness
• Stay informed and get involved in the district and your schools
• See updates from our community partners
  
• and more!

Thank you for taking the time to read it. Please reach out using Let's Talk with any questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, or compliments. 

Champlain Valley School District

What is Harkness?

Recently, CVU's 10th and 11th grade Harkness Building Coaches traveled to Harwood Union High School to participate in Harkness discussions with their counterparts at that school. The pictures below show a trust-building warm-up activity and then discussions completely led by students. In particular, CVU and Harwood 11th graders - who have a bit more training than the 10th graders - facilitated the discussions for the 10th graders. As is typical in high-quality Harkness, all the teachers had to do was sit back and observe. Magic only begins to describe it.

CVU will host Harwood's Harkness Building Coaches for a similar summit on Thursday, December 14.

We asked Brad Miller, a CVU social studies teacher to help our community learn more about Harkness. Here are his responses in a question/answer format. Thank you for your leadership on this valuable work, Brad! 

What is Harkness?

The Harkness Method began in 1930 at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH, and is still their primary mode of instruction today. It has since become very popular in the private school world, in large part due to Exeter’s renown.

In short, The Harkness Method asks that students be responsible for their own learning. Instead of the teacher being the sole deliverer of content, students are taught to engage with each other using the tools of civil discourse, taught to engage with content through annotation and questioning, and then taught to make sense of that content together ‘at the table’ (pictured above) using those tools of civil discourse. The teacher’s role is more to steer discussion and collaboration towards key understandings rather than leading them to those understandings through lectures.

Does Harkness at CVU look the same as Harkness in private school?

No. CVU - or any public school - can’t replicate the private school model. Instead, we teach a Harkness curriculum that operates within our capacity. We use highly scaffolded steps to bring our students ‘to the table,’ so to speak. While our version takes more time and has more steps, many CVU students at this very moment are skilled enough that they could sit down at the table with Exeter students and you wouldn’t notice a difference.

What’s the difference between a Harkness discussion and a Socratic Seminar?

Think of Socratic Seminar as one of the final steps along the Harkness process. Socratic Seminar is a discussion in which the teacher comes prepared with questions for the students to answer in order to achieve an understanding about content. Harkness pushes one step past that and instead asks the students to be the ones preparing questions. They would then engage each other in discussion, with the teacher there to provide direction and quality control.

Are Harkness discussions just freewheeling, dorm room-style riff sessions?

No. Successful Harkness teachers prepare vigilantly beforehand to make sure that their discussions are ones in which there aren’t interruptions, there is clear direction, content is the driver, and every voice matters. A student won’t be successful at Harkness simply by talking the most. The quality of their comments and their active listening are more important than their ability to talk a lot.

Is Harkness just meant for the Humanities classroom?

No, but Harkness does look different in different disciplines. For example, it’s totally reasonable for Humanities teachers to expect their students to be able to sit in circles of 10-12 and have discussions about content. That might not be applicable to, say, a math or science classroom. Instead, in that context, Harkness might look like groups of 4-6 collaborating on problems or labs. One is not more valuable than the other, especially since the same skills of civil discourse can be taught and assessed. The teacher’s goals, how students reflect, and what’s being assessed are all potential commonalities between Harkness in different disciplines at CVU.

What’s the difference between Harkness and a debate?

Harkness isn’t a setting in which students seek to ‘win’ or ‘own’ each other, as they might say. It’s a setting in which students are asked to unpack complex content together through civil discourse. Sure, disagreement is a natural part of Harkness, but ‘winning’ is not something that’s prized within the pedagogy. Perhaps a teacher might use a Harkness discussion to help their students prepare for a debate.

What's the current status of Harkness at CVU? 

An after school class to help educators learn about Harkness is now in its third year and I’m proud to say that my co-teacher, Kathy Cadwell, (from Harwood) and I have trained 27 CVU teachers in the Harkness Method. Over and over again, I have seen that Harkness allows students to be heard, to take risks, and to experience a much more equitable version of classroom discussion than I had used in the past.

How many CVU students have been trained in Harkness?

Every single 9th grader received training last year. Additionally, most current juniors participated in some degree of Harkness training during their 9th-10th grade years. The ripple effects that teachers are seeing in their 10th and 11th-grade class discussions are profound.

What do CVU students like about Harkness? 

The responses below come from anonymous surveys given to 9th graders last year.

• I liked the emphasis on including everyone in the discussions.
• I liked the passionate discussions, how it was so polite without any interruptions and I loved the vibe of the room.
• We didn't interrupt, like, at all, and that was great, as that's something I get mad at my friends for doing. I think we all had great points to share too.
• I think I did a good job listening to others and letting others talk. I have a tendency to talk for a long time, and I think I did a good job holding back and letting others have the floor.
• We had a lot of really good connections to things you would never think of connected to what we were talking about. Hearing these made what we were talking about easier to understand.
• I think it gave me some new ideas and a deeper understanding of the units than I would have learned on my own.
• I liked to hear everyone's ideas, and I liked to see my classmates growth.
• It was a good way to get ideas for the LEAF formatives and summatives. I also think it was a good way to get comfortable with sharing your ideas to a group and potentially disagreeing with others.
• I felt like I was heard and my opinions were valued. I didn’t feel embarrassed when I messed up or stumbled over my words. I felt very included.
• It is really hard to be actively in the discussion if you are not prepared.
• I really liked how we had a lot of control as the students.

A Unique Look at the CVU Class of 2002

Through a series of recent events, we discovered that there are a number of CVSD (and what was formerly CSSU) alumni working in the district. We reached out to those that we know of from CVU's class of 2002 and asked them to share a few memories. Here's what they shared, in their own words. 

    

Mariel Adsit (CCS and SCS school psychologist)

I grew up in Charlotte– I attended CCS K-8 and then CVU. I have many fond memories of both CCS and CVU. At CCS, I forged strong connections with peers and adults and discovered some of my strengths and vulnerabilities as a learner. I got the support I needed to develop my weaker skill sets, even if it meant going to a room in the basement to get extra help (the room is no longer!). Luckily I was allowed to bring a friend! I think this early experience ultimately inspired me to help others figure out their learning profile and to get the necessary support (as a School Psychologist). At CVU, I enjoyed my time on the tennis and Nordic ski teams and expanded my interests. Sadly, Psychology was not a course option at the time.

Doug Pierson (CCS special educator)

Memories from CVSD schools:

Being completely confused that in the middle of our math class all of a sudden we would start doing Tai Chi with Mrs. Heatherlee

Walking in to Mr. Mares class and having him announce to the entire class that an average student will get a C in my class. Being an athlete and getting a C didn’t really work so I remember turning to Pete Cernosia and thinking this is going to be a really long semester. It turned out that after a hard few weeks he was one of my favorite teachers and he had this great ability to push students to pay attention and give everything their best in his class. This class helped me the rest of my years at CVU.

For some reason, I was nominated to be the class Marshall (I think that is what it was called) and I don’t enjoy being the center of attention but as part of being the Marshall I had to walk the senior class (class of 2001) down and light a candle with a match in front of everyone (the entire class, parents etc.) My hands were shaking I was so nervous being up on stage that I was having a hard time lighting the match. It took me some time but once I finally lit the match and the candle I took a deep breath of relief and ended up blowing out the candle.

At SCS, I was on the Delta house and I remember Mr. Carlson would sit/stand on tables and sing to you in his Elvis voice happy birthday.

For sports, I was fortunate to have Shep all four years at CVU for my soccer coach and I’ll never forget him driving us to play North Country. We were close to the top of this big hill and all of a sudden we heard a giant pop. He pulled the bus over and we were all wondering what was going on and what happened until we looked behind us and saw all the soccer balls rolling down the road. The loud pop was us running over a ball but we also all had to get off and run down to retrieve all our soccer balls.

A small connection I have from then to now would be I remember being a big brother while at CVU and coming back to SCS to read to a young boy in 2nd grade. I also remember doing a project around teaching the first grade and going into HCS to help out for a semester. I remember having to teach my own lesson at the end and thinking back I had a great time doing this. I also had some family personal connections in special education and going into college didn’t know what else I wanted to be so decided education it was. I am now in my 14th year at CCS as a special educator working with the 3rd and 4th grade teams.

Laura Dyer (ABS teacher)

My memory would be of working in Carmen LaFlamme's class for WISH (Williston Student Helpers) in 8th grade (Mr. Ford would drive us over to the newly-built Allen Brook School from Williston Central in his car!). Mrs. LaFlamme told me I would make a great teacher and that I could have her job someday, which was the highest compliment from my very own kindergarten teacher! I went on to get my degree and come back to teach kindergarten at ABS, but I missed Carmen's retirement by one year.

Of course, a highlight was meeting Mariel Adsit in Justin Chapman's lit class at CVU and making a friend for life!

Brett Cluff (SCS 5-8 principal)

My favorite part of CVU was the purposeful community-building activities and structures. Coming from Charlotte, I felt like a small fish in a big pond. Some of the memories from CVU that come to mind first were the time I spent in advisory. Chris Hood was my advisor! I loved the relaxed atmosphere and the chance to get to know kids across grade levels. Climbing the wall in Project Adventure and all the field trips we took in Nichols Core were also really helpful in making us feel like part of the same team.

I got to learn from some amazing educators in my time at CCS and CVU. I think my favorites were usually the ones who really listened to what kids had to say and brought some humor into the classroom. I've tried to reflect that in my own career. As a school principal, I may not always be able to solve every problem, but I can at least listen with empathy and try to connect with kids and adults through laughter.

Laura Rice (CVSD Director of Human Resources)

As I think back to my time as a student in CVSD, there is one person that always comes to mind. Ms. Downer was a school counselor at CCS for many years. She is a beam of light and every time I saw her, she would make it a point to stop and chat. I always enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with her. Ms. Downer was never a downer, even in some dark moments when she had to give me bad news. She was a rock for me and I am forever grateful for her patience, kindness, and welcoming attitude. I ran into her this past spring at a restaurant and when I told her who I was, it was like no time had passed. We picked up in conversation. I hope that someday there is a person who thinks back fondly to my interactions with them in this same light.

When I was a kid, I often thought I would be a teacher mostly because of the awesome teachers I had at CCS and CVU. There was a culture of kindness and support that felt like an extension of home. I wanted to be in a place where I could support people the same way I felt supported. In college, I discovered my passion for supporting adults and it has now all come full circle with being in HR in education.

Dianna Fletcher (transportation)

I am a proud alumni of both CVU and CCS and would love to share! There are so many wonderful memories from my time as a student here.

One of my most cherished memories was when I was in the CCS Jazz Band. We were playing on Church Street on the very last day of my 8th-grade year. As we all came down the stairs to leave, all the teachers and staff had gathered in the lobby to send us off since we wouldn't be there at dismissal time. It was so heartwarming and special. And now, even after all these years, there is still a wonderful sense of warmth and caring flowing through the halls.

It is so amazing to connect with old peers that you haven't seen since graduation. They are your coworkers and the parents of the students you work with. The result is a community that feels more like family than individual groups and a real connection to where we all came from. I feel truly blessed to work where I grew up and to give back to the community.

Jennifer Goodspeed (SCS food service)

I remember one of my teachers at Charlotte Central School, Catthy Folly. One of her family members worked with my mom after I had been in her class. When she heard through the grapevine that I was having a baby, she made me a baby blanket and I still have it.

For my CVU grad challenge, I learned how to decorate cakes. It didn’t lead to what I’m currently doing, but now I see the connection!

I am happy to be doing this job as the hours align with being able to be there for my daughter, who is now a student at CVU.

Amanda Laberge (WCS teacher)

I attended Shelburne Community School from K-8th grade. My fondest memories there are of teachers and projects that I enjoyed, like the Pioneers unit with Ms. Morrissey (yes, Marybeth Morrissey, a current colleague at WCS was my 5th-grade teacher) and the Salem Witch Trials unit with Dick Carlson. I also remember the teachers that I connected with most and stayed in touch with long after graduation from SCS and CVU, like Meg O'Donnell, Dave Ely, and Carl Recchia.

Some of my favorite memories at CVU were from events with the Madrigal Singers, and the performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat my 9th-grade year, during which I was thrilled to wear gold go-go boots and play the honorable part of the Camel's Second Hump.

I also remember an English course at CVU in which our teacher asked each of us to perform part of a song. I don't remember which song I performed, but I do remember Brett Cluff's rendition of "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. I think in my young mind, it was Grammy-worthy!

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing at CVU for almost the entire day of Tuesday, 9/11/01 when we were just starting our senior year.

Overall, I remember finding my people in both my peers and teachers; they were people who supported and accepted me and who I'm grateful to have known. I feel very fortunate to work with several of them now, and to catch up a little bit at every district inservice and hear about their families and experiences living and working in.

When I was a student at SCS and CVU, I learned the value of teachers who care deeply about who their students are as human beings; that is the most important lesson that I have carried with me into my role as a middle-level classroom teacher. It is a lesson that transcends time and all of the changes we've seen in our society over the past 20+ (!) years.

Thank you for being a part of our community in so many ways, from student to employee! We value what you bring to our district and its schools.

Two CVSD Educators Recognized for Work Around Technology

Tim O'Leary

Tim O’Leary, currently serving as the Instructional Coach and  Curriculum leader at Shelburne Community School, was recently honored with the Frank Watson Award by Vita-Learn. Tim consistently demonstrates a remarkable dedication to his profession, approaching his work with unwavering professionalism and enthusiasm. His tireless efforts are aimed at enhancing student outcomes through information technology, and he fearlessly engages in initiatives that promote enhanced learning experiences.

As a 2020 Rowland Fellow, Tim, alongside Charlie MacFadyen from CVU, worked on developing an equitable K-12 computer science program across CVSD. Tim is a fervent advocate for educational equity and improved access to technology and computer science. He played a pivotal role in implementing First Lego League groups in all K-8 schools within our district.

In addition to his advocacy and active involvement, Tim is a dedicated member of the Computer Science Teachers Association and serves as a board member for the Vermont chapter. He has been instrumental in advocating for Vermont students' access to the Congressional App Challenge.

The Frank Watson Award, presented by Vita-Learn, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to educational technology in Vermont, spanning local, regional, and state levels. This marks the third consecutive year that a CVSD educator has been honored with this prestigious award.

Charlie MacFadyen receiving his award

Charlie MacFadyen was honored with the CS Teaching Excellence Award at the recent New England regional Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) meeting. His recognition stems from his exceptional leadership in computer science (CS) both at CVU and district-wide over the past few years.

Charlie holds the role of digital learning leader at CVU and actively instructs computer science classes, contributing to the expansion of CS offerings at the school. Moreover, he dedicates his time to coaching the cyberpatriot team and the math league, while also assisting in the coordination of various events for these groups. His leadership style is characterized by thoughtfulness, creativity, and dedication to staff and students.

The CSTA's CS Teaching Excellence Awards are designed to acknowledge the exceptional teaching efforts of K-12 computer science teachers. Recipients of this award excel in inspiring students to explore the field of computer science, engaging them in learning rigorous standards-aligned CS content, and working towards broadening the participation of underrepresented students in computing.