Celebrating CVSD Retirees

It's that time of year where, with bittersweet emotions, we recognize those that are moving on and retiring from CVSD. 

Thank you, thank you. 

If you'd like to reach out to any of these people, feel free to use the CVSD Kudos topic on Let's Talk and we'll make sure your message gets to them. 

Lindy Gramling wins 2023 Adapted Physical Educator of the Year Award

Williston Physical Educators, Cathy Kohlasch, Dustin King and Kate Grozier congratulate Lindy Gramling (in white) for her recognition as the 2023 SHAPE Vermont Adapted Physical Educator Award.

Lindy Gramling, a school-based physical therapist for the Champlain Valley School District, has been named the 2023 Adapted Physical Educator of the Year by SHAPE Vermont, the Society of Health and Physical Educators.

Lindy has been a physical therapist for 29 years and has worked with many students and staff in the Champlain Valley School District since 2019.

Lindy is an advocate for students who collaborates and communicates thoroughly with a comprehensive team of physical educators, special education case managers, classroom teachers, families, and primary care medical personnel.

She was recognized for her outstanding work as a professional who supports students with skill work, participation, and inclusion to be sure their best interests and needs are met.

"I cherish feeling so invited by my PE colleagues into the service of these amazing kids. Whether sharing lunchtime together on the gym floor or connecting in the offices, classroom, and hallways, we always find time to share our observations, our perspectives, and creativity about helping children thrive in the PE classroom. Being part of such a collaborative and inspired team is as joyful as seeing the children I work with feel a sense of pride successfully participating with their peers."   - Lindy Gramling

"Lindy's years of experience, professionalism, smile, enthusiasm, and perseverance make for a positive connection with all. We are fortunate to have such a caring and competent person assisting the students, families, and staff in our district."   - Cathy Kohlasch, Williston Central School Physical Education Teacher

Congratulations, Lindy and thank you for all you do for students in Williston and CVSD!

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.

Recognizing This Year's Retirees

Sadly, it's the time of year when we recognize those who are retiring from CVSD. Thank you for your many years of service and dedication to CVSD students, schools, colleagues, and the larger community.

You will be missed. 

We wish you all the very best on your next adventures!

African Drummers and Dance at Allen Brook School

Thank you to Jen Canfield, a kindergarten teacher at the Allen Brook School, for submitting this post. She also wrote the grant to the Williston Families as Partners (FAP) organization that funded this incredible opportunity. The FAP's fundraising efforts provide grants to teachers and programs within the Williston schools. 

Funded by a generous FAP grant, Allen Brook students have had the privilege of learning from Burlington's Jeh Kulu West African Dance and Drum Ensemble. "Jeh Kulu" means community in the Bambara language of Mali and Jeh Kulu's Guinean American teaching artists brought our school community together in the celebration of West African dance and drumming.

Over the course of this week, each class learned a traditional West African dance and, at the end of the residency, we will gather together in a schoolwide celebration to share the dances we learned. We were honored to work with dancer Khadija Bangoura and drummers Ismael and Ibrahime Bangoura. Thank you to these amazing teaching artists for joining our school community for a week!

We can't wait to hear about the final celebration!

CVSD Sets a Penguin Plunge Record

The annual Penguin Plunge event, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Vermont, was canceled this year due to the extremely cold temperatures on February 4. Those who had signed up to participate, as teams or individuals, were encouraged to find another way to show their support for this great organization. Once again, CVSD schools came through. The total raised by teams representing all of our schools came in at over $53,000! 

Thank you to the organizers, students, faculty, staff, parents and caregivers who dedicated their time to raising funds and to those who created alternate events to keep the spirit strong.

Shelburne

The Shelburne Community School Plungers, led by student Gray Latka, raised $5589! They organized an alternate event at Shelburne Beach on February 20th.

Charlotte

Charlotte's team, made up of 12 staff members called CCS and Company, held an alternate event at Charlotte Town Beach on February 15, raising $4104 for Special Olympics Vermont! 

Hinesburg

Hinesburg Community School's team, led by Paul Lasher, had 46 participants. 35 of those were there to plunge into Lake Iroquois on Saturday, February 11. They raised just over $12,000! See the NBC5 story below.

Williston
On Saturday, February 11, 35 brave Williston penguins assembled in the WCS parking lot - seated in a circle on cold metal folding chairs, waiting for a “Bucket buddy” to dump an ice cold bucket of water over their heads.

They counted down from 10, and then went around the circle. A few brave souls even volunteered to take a 2nd bucket for the cause! It was a crisp sunny day - and the Wildcat spirit was alive and well.

The team felt great about honoring the generous donations raised that totaled over $16,400 - Wow! In fact, for the first time, our Williston Team was the top fundraiser among the school teams signed up for the event this year.

Shout outs go to Emily Downing-Ponce, Ingrid Luby, Sam Beatson, Lauren Goracy, and Cathy Kohlasch - all who helped to make the event possible.
 

CVU

The massive effort by CVU, always a top fundraiser, did not disappoint this year. They raised $15,544 in support of Special Olympics Vermont! When we get more information, we will add it here. 

We are so proud of all who organized, participated, and donated to this great event. Thank you CVSD!

 

Williston's Digital Learning Leader Wins Award

 

Williston’s Digital Learning Leader, Jessica Wilson, was presented with VitaLearn’s Frank Watson Award on Friday at their annual Vermont Fest conference in Killington.

The award is presented to a person whose many years of devoted service, vision, and leadership have significantly advanced educational technology at the local, regional, and state level. Jessica has not only served on the board of VitaLearn for many years, Vermont’s ISTE affiliate, but she also served on the board of RETN (now known as the Media Factory) and continues to serve on the board of the Vermont NEA.

Jessica has educated elementary and middle school students at both the Hinesburg Community School and the Williston schools with the state of the art technology through the rapidly changing eras of iPads and Chromebooks. She inspires students and adults to explore new ideas including video production, live-streaming school events, computer animation, coding and more.

Each year, she inspires teachers and their students to participate in the Doodle for Google contest. As a result, an Allen Brook School first grader was last year's Vermont winner.

She is enthusiastic and passionate about digital learning and how digital tools support and enhance learning. Jessica works with everyone in the Williston schools, supporting all efforts that pertain to educational technology. She also serves on Williston’s wellness and safety committees.

Greg Marino, lead principal for the Williston schools, had this to share, 

"The Williston Schools are so grateful for the years of dedicated and expert support of our Digital Learning Leader, Jessica Wilson. Jess is constantly stepping up and stepping in to whatever it takes to advance student learning, especially in areas of transformative and responsible use of digital-age tools in teaching and learning. She serves as a role model to students and adults - not just for what it means to be a good digital citizen, but also a good human being."

We are truly appreciative of all that Jessica does for Williston, CVSD, and others in Vermont.

Congratulations, Jessica!

Celebrating CVSD Leaders

We are excited to honor and recognize seven Champlain Valley School District educators who completed the Snelling Center for Government's Vermont School Leadership Project (VSLP) this past weekend. CVSD has a long history of encouraging leaders to participate in this 17-month professional development experience and the district and its schools has benefited as a result of engagement in this program.

The 2022 cohort includes 22 Vermont educators, seven of whom are leaders in CVSD.

Clockwise in the above image, from the top left:

• Courtney Krahn, assistant principal, Charlotte Central School
• Jensa Bushey, CVSD district literacy leader
• Angela Filion, principal, Allen Brook School
• Sarah Crum, CVSD director of learning and innovation
• Caitlin Bianchi, math coordinator, Williston Schools
• Arthur Chiaravalli, Fairbanks house director, Champlain Valley Union High School
• Jennifer Roth, principal, Charlotte Central School

Our district is fortunate to have motivated leaders who strive to learn, enhance their skills, and challenge themselves in order to best support our students.

Thank you and congratulations!

Lauren Goracy Named Williston’s Director of Special Education

 

Photo of Lauren thanks to AMV Photography

Lauren Goracy has been appointed Director of Special Education for the Williston Schools, which includes Allen Brook School and Williston Central School. Ms. Goracy will begin her leadership duties on July 1, 2022.

Williston’s Lead Principal, Greg Marino, shared this about Lauren joining the community, “The Williston Schools Leadership team is excited to welcome Lauren to our learning community. Lauren's knowledge of CVSD’s MTSS systems, structures, and current focus areas will help to power ongoing positive momentum. Her fresh and current leadership outlook will be an asset in our quest for continued growth and innovation in the service of student learning.”

Ms. Goracy graduated from the University of Vermont (UVM) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. She holds a Master of Special Education degree, also from UVM. She is projected to complete a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Leadership from Saint Michael’s College in the near future.

Lauren joins the Williston schools after working most recently as a special educator at the Shelburne Community School, also a part of the Champlain Valley School District. In that role, she has supported the summer school program and was a co-director of the Early Childhood Summer Program. Lauren was an intern in the Williston schools when she was working on her degrees.

CVSD’s Director of Student Support Services, Meagan Roy, shared, "Lauren has been a member of the CVSD special education community for several years. Her dedication to our system and her more recent leadership coursework made her a clear choice for the interview committee. We are excited to welcome her to this new role!"

Lauren shared this message with us, “It feels special coming back to Williston Schools where I learned so much from the staff and students. CVSD has always been my home and it is an honor to continue to be part of this amazing community. I look forward to working with students, staff, and parents; it is a privilege to be a part of this innovative teaching team again!”

We look forward to working with Lauren in this role beginning on July 1.

Allen Brook School Student Chosen as the Vermont Winner in Doodle for Google Student Contest

 

A talented Williston, Vermont, student could soon have his art on the Google homepage for hundreds of millions to see. This week, Google announced the 54 State and Territory winners in its 14th annual Doodle for Google competition, a contest where K-12 students across the United States have the opportunity to create their own version of the Google logo inspired by the prompt “I care for myself by....”.

Kyle Adams, a 1st grader from the Allen Brook School in Williston, Vermont, is one of the 54 US State and Territory Winners with his Doodle, “Mind Over Monsters”. Kyle’s Doodle was selected from thousands of entries received this year. Students at the Allen Brook School helped Kyle celebrate during a surprise assembly on May 25.

When Kyle submitted his design, he wrote, “Meditation is a powerful way to manage hard feelings, troubling thoughts, and lets our mind take a needed rest.”

At the celebration, Kyle was presented with a backpack full of goodies including a t-shirt with his design on it, and he received a Google Pixel tablet. The school was presented with a very large replica of Kyle’s design. 

Jessica Wilson

Every year, Williston’s Digital Learning Leader, Jessica Wilson, has encouraged teachers and their students to participate in Google's Doodle contest. Jessica was recognized at the event as well.

To help their favorites succeed, everyone across the USA can vote for their favorite Doodle from the 54 State and Territory Winners. Voting will be open soon on this site: https://doodles.google.com/d4g/. The public vote will determine the Five National Finalists (one in each grade group). Google will announce these five National Finalists in June, one of which will have their Doodle featured on the Google homepage for a day.

The National Winner will take home a $30,000 college scholarship and their school will receive a $50,000 tech package towards the establishment or improvement of a computer lab or technology program.

Voting is open through July 12! Vote for Kyle's design. https://doodles.google.com/d4g/  Be sure to spread the word!

The Adams family

ABS students and staff at the surprise celebration

Kyle with ABS Principal, Angela Filion, and Williston Lead Principal, Greg Marino

Credit for many of these photos goes to Kyle's mom, Jennifer Adams @Studio 2N Photography. Thank you! 

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.

CVSD Schools Name Snowplows

Some of our schools had unusual visitors today, snow plows and their drivers! A few weeks ago, the Vermont agency of Transportation sponsored a Name a Plow Program. Schools or classrooms were encouraged to submit a name for a snowplow. Many of these submissions were accepted and today was the celebration day. 

Today was Vermont Plow Day. The plows visited "their" school for students to see them and meet the drivers. Not only does each plow have the name that the school or classroom submitted, but the name of the school is on there as well. 

It will be very exciting to see the plows out and about when the weather warrants it! Be on the lookout for Salty, Powder Pusher, and Shelburne Blizzard. Thank you to the educators and students who helped to make this happen.

Allen Brook School's plow, Salty

Williston Central School, Karin Ward's class plow,  Powder Pusher

Shelburne Community School, Karen Newman's class plow, Shelburne Blizzard

Hands Up Celebration Held in Williston

 

(l to r: Danielle Doucette, Youth Services Assistant, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Cara Clopton, Library Media Specialist Allen Brook School, Bonnie Lord, Youth Librarian, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library)

The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library (DAML) in Williston was the proud recipient of an American Library Association (ALA) Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries grant this year. They worked in collaboration with Allen Brook School on a special project to provide a free opportunity for family literacy engagement centered on creating a welcoming and inclusive community.

The grant was used to offer Brave Books Bags to each second-grade family at Allen Brook School earlier this fall. The bags included two picture books and two chapter books to spark conversations, understandings, and build caring, valued relationships. These books, created by Black authors and illustrators, were chosen to encourage conversations around racial equity and inclusiveness. The books range from picture books to middle grade titles, to encourage conversations amongst the very young as well as older family members.

As a follow-up to the distribution of the Brave Book Bags the community was invited to a celebration of the project on the Town Green today. Allen Brook Librarian Cara Clopton read the picture book Hands Up! by Breanna J. McDaniel to celebrate social justice and the partnership between DAML & Allen Brook School. The story will also be featured on a Storywalk® on the Town Green this month.

The photos below were contributed by Cara Clopton. Thank you for your part in making this effort and event happen. 

Recognizing One of Our Lifechangers

Needless to say, all of our school nurses are heroes and lifechangers. The past 18 months has certainly highlighted their role, their value, and what they bring to our communities. All of our school nurses have gone above and beyond to support the health and wellness of all students and staff. They are on top of the details pertaining to health - especially COVID-related topics, they are instrumental with contact tracing, they communicate important information to all, and have managed to do all of this and more with a smile. 

Allen Brook School principal Angela Filion recognized Williston's head school nurse, Maria Kapetanovic by nominating her for a Lifechanger of the Year Award. You can read more about Angela's nomination here. 

To be considered for an award, nominees must:

• Make a positive impact in the lives of students
• Enhance their school or district’s atmosphere, culture and pride
• Demonstrate exemplary leadership at the school and/or district level
• Possess a proven record of professional excellence
• Show commitment to building a nurturing environment that supports learning
• Adhere to the highest moral and ethical standards

Those qualities certainly describe Maria. Winners will be announced sometime in early 2022. Whether she is one of the official winners or not, Maria is a winner in our book! We thank Maria, and all of our school nurses, for their tireless dedication to all. 

CVSD Facilities - Summer Work A Success!

The summer of 2021 was a busy construction season for our facilities management team. We extend a special thank you to Chris Giard, District Facilities Manager, for his help in facilitating this work.

• We’ve finished a complete kitchen renovation at SCS including new equipment for food preparation and vastly improved ventilation in the kitchen and cafeteria.

SCS kitchen

• The windows in Hinesburg’s White Building have been replaced, greatly improving the natural light, and the 7th and 8th-grade wing on the 2nd floor has new ventilation for air quality and dehumidification.

HCS before

      

HCS after

 

• CVU’s track has been renovated, allowing the school to continue to host meets and another field has been upgraded for better drainage. Inside, windows were replaced in the 1981 wing and the carpet has been replaced in the library.

CVU track

CVU library

• Allen Brook is in the middle of an architectural study to determine how best to fine-tune the building for use as a Prek-2 school while making HVAC and energy efficiency upgrades.

• And of course, CCS has undergone some long overdue deferred maintenance both inside and out to improve energy efficiency and air quality. The construction team is now working on the front facade which is starting to look pretty amazing.

CCS facade

All of this was managed alongside the annual deep clean of our buildings: washing and waxing of floors, window cleaning, and furniture repair and replacement. Kudos to the outstanding men and women on our facilities and custodial staff who worked all summer to get the buildings ready for the school year.

Allen Brook School Abenaki Land Link

This past weekend, a group of volunteers were at the Allen Brook School to prepare garden beds. ABS educators Chris Sedic-Lawton and Cara Clopton shared the following to help inform others about this project. 

Allen Brook School has partnered with the Abenaki Land Link Project in an effort to acknowledge the fact that we live and learn on the traditional land of the Abenaki, support the movement of food sovereignty in Native nations, and engage our students in gardening. We are devoting four garden beds to raise plants which will be harvested and returned to the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk-Abenaki Nation in the fall. This past weekend, a large group of volunteers prepared existing garden beds and built two new ones.

The Abenaki Land Link Project (ALL) is a partnership between the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk - Abenaki Nation, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), and the Vermont Farm to Plate Network's Rooted in Vermont project. From the coordinators:

“As the growers, you are joining us in this partnership to steward Indigenous crops for food and seed saving in solidarity with the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk, to share in the eating of foods native to the Abenaki people, and to learn from the cultural history that the Abenaki ancestors used and continue to cultivate today. This project is founded in resiliency, not charity, and we are happy that you have chosen to join us in working towards this common goal.”

What will it look like at ABS?

• This is a pilot year
• The Nulhegan band, NOFA-VT, and VT Farm to Plate will supply heritage seeds.
• 2 garden beds will be built specifically for ALL
• The beds will hold Calais Flint Corn, True Cranberry Pole Bean, and Algonquian Winter Squash.
• In the fall, all harvested food will be given back to the Nulhegan band.
• We are working to include Native voices and expertise, as well as partnerships with the community.

What's Next?

• Collect materials and donations for garden beds, compost, fencing and tools. If you'd like to donate, please visit this link.
• Garden bed construction and preparation took place on Green Up Day (May 1st).
• After constructing and preparing the beds, then planting the seeds, we will look for partners to help maintain the crops as they grow over the summer.
• When we return in the fall, we will consider how to celebrate the harvest and return of the crops to the Nulhegan band.