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. 

An Exciting Finish at the State Geo-Bee Finals

Here's a guest post from Sam Nelson, SCS educator and Geo-Bee coach. Thanks also to Josh Roof, WCS Geo-Bee coach. Congratulations to both of you and thank you for your support of these students. 

On May 8th, students from schools around the state gathered at Montpelier High School for the 5-8th grade Vermont State Geography Bee. After a COVID-related hiatus, the Bee returned this year to offer the opportunity for students to flex their knowledge while answering quiz questions centered on state, national, and international geography and culture. The format is simple: sitting in rows of four, students answer individual questions to accumulate points for their teams. The team with the highest point total at the end of 12 rounds of questions is the winner.

At this year's Geo Bee, Shelburne Community School competed against four other schools: Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School, St. Johnsbury School, U-32, and Williston Central School. For SCS, the four 7th grade students representing their school were Ben Gardner, Jonny Thayer, Josh Kalbfleisch, and Leo Wang. For WCS, the team included Avery Antonioli, Kai Maxwell, Charles Meisenzahl, Grayson Pogact, and Annika Scott.

After the first four rounds, SCS had a two-point lead over both Williston and U-32. Four rounds later, however, SCS was down two points to Williston, U-32 and St. Johnsbury. The audience was audibly excited as the scores were close going into the final set of questions.

By the 11th and 12th rounds of questions it was clear that the two schools competing for the win were SCS and Williston. In the final round of questions it was Leo who came through for SCS. Navigating tricky questions centered on the Middle East, Leo came away answering the final round question correctly and, after an incorrect answer from a Williston team member, the results were in: Shelburne and Williston were tied after the final round.

This forced a playoff. Teams had five minutes to calm themselves and prepare. All four members of the SCS team used the opportunity to review a classroom atlas and cram whatever geographic knowledge they could before moving back to their seats on the stage. 

A notable moment came when, before the final round of questions were presented to the two teams, students from both SCS and Williston offered each other fist-bumps, handshakes, and "good luck" sentiments. This served as a model of respect and kindness within a heated competition. 

As the final questions were presented to each student on the two remaining teams, things came down to Leo needing a correct answer to seal the victory. To the question On which of the following seas does Iran have a border: the Aral Sea, the Black Sea, or the Caspian Sea? Leo took a moment, inhaled, and correctly responded with "the Caspian Sea".

Scores were announced, students celebrated, and more congratulatory handshakes and kind sentiments were shared. The SCS team held the state championship trophy high, capping off a triumphant return of the Vermont State Geography Bee. The WCS team ultimately finished as runners up by one point.

What an exciting finish. Way to go to both teams and their coaches! Thank you for representing CVSD and for your hard work that led to this great accomplishment! 

The SCS team and state champs

CVSD Students Share Their Stories and Voices

We posted these two videos earlier on our social media channels and wanted to make it easy for anyone to access them. 

Thank you to all student contributors. You are inspiring!

Current students share their voices.

Past students share their memories and experiences.

Congratulations to the CVU Robotics Teams!

 Here's a guest post from CVU Robotics Coach, Olaf Verdonk: 

Both of CVU's robotics teams competed at the Vermont State Robotics Championship held at Lamoille Union High School. Both teams performed with excellence!

The Varsity RoboHawks earned 1st place in the Inspire Award once again due to their outstanding work in STEM outreach to CVSD and the community and their ability to clearly and effectively communicate their engineering design process and growth both in writing and presentation. This most prestigious award qualifies them for the World Championships in Houston in April!

The JV RedHawks earned great reviews from judges as a rookie team and they earned the prestigious Judges Award and a 3rd place in the Connect Award.

In the competition the JV robot performed flawlessly and never had a breakdown!

The Varsity robot performed excellent in all areas and working together in an alliance with South Burlington's robot they were able to win the tournament! They sailed through the semis beating an alliance between Mater Christi and MMU. Winning best of three (in two) 193 to 68 and 103 to 55. They then went on to dominate the finals beating an alliance between Saxton River and Manchester! Winning best of three again in two 137 to 64 and 153 to 65.

EXTRA KUDOS go to James Haines for being selected as a FIRST Robotics Dean's List Finalist to represent Vermont at the World Championships! A well deserved honor!

Congratulations to both teams! 

WCS School Counselor in the Spotlight

 

Williston Central School's school counselor, Chris Ford, is in the Vermont School Counselor Association's Spotlight this month. Chris answered a few questions below. Congratulations on this honor and well-deserved recognition, Chris!  

What influenced you to become a school counselor?

In reflecting on this question, I think three things influenced my path to becoming a school counselor: 1. Always enjoying and having fun with kids in all parts of my life; 2. Having a high school counselor that was supportive, kind, and helpful; 3. Seeking a career path that is meaningful and rewarding each day.

What's your favorite part about being a school counselor?

Definitely connecting with kids in my role as a school counselor. Whether it is in classes, groups, or individual meetings, the days I work more with students are the days that seem more satisfying (even when the work is challenging).

What’s unique about your school community?

I appreciate all the student leadership and extra-curricular opportunities that our students have available to them during the school day, and after school, to help them connect with others, find their passions, and contribute to making our school community better for all students.

We are proud to call Chris a colleague and thankful for the work he does on behalf of students.

CVSD Schools Take the Plunge

The annual Penguin Plunge event, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Vermont, took place on February 10. Once again, CVSD schools came through! The total raised by teams representing all of our schools came in at over $41,000! 

All funds raised through the Penguin Plunge support Special Olympics Vermont’s local and school-based programs that foster awareness and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities by using the power of sport to showcase their gifts and abilities.

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.

Here are updates from each of the CVSD schools who participated this year. 

Charlotte: 5 people participated this year representing CCS. We raised $1,840 this year and it was a great time!

CCS

CCS

Hinesburg: The Hinesburg team was made up of 38 5th-8th grade students, along with teachers Paul Lasher and Alyssa Wieland and board member Cassandra Townshend. We raised $11,500, the third most for all teams. 5th grader Nora Cudney raised $1700 herself!

HCS

HCS

Shelburne: SCS had 14 members and collectively raised $8,370. SCS team was the fourth highest fundraising school, coming in just behind CVU and Hinesburg. SCS also had the highest student fundraiser of all the Cool Schools (Gray Latka $3,270)!

SCS

SCS

CVU: We had 55 plungers for the CVU team and raised $19,486! This was the most raised by a school team.

CVU

CVU

Congratulations and thank you all for your effort and dedication to this incredible event, and thank you to all who contributed in support of it as well. 

Author Jason Chin Visits CVSD Schools

Science teachers across the district have been looking for ways to integrate science into reading and writing classes while also creating a shared experience for our PreK-8 students. This week, CVSD's PreK-8 buildings are welcoming Jason Chin to share his experiences and insights into writing and illustrating children’s books. Jason Chin, a local author and illustrator, is a diverse author and a Caldecott Medal winner who has written and illustrated a series of children’s books including many on non-fiction science topics.

“I love meeting readers and sharing what I love, and I hope that my visits will help young readers see themselves as artists, scientists, readers and writers.” -Jason Chin

These visits were funded through a grant, the school district, and each school's PTO/family organizations supported it as well.

Thank you, Jason, for such enriching and engaging presentations! Here are a few photos from the visit with Williston students yesterday. He was in Charlotte today and will be in Shelburne and Hinesburg this week as well.

CVSD's National Board Certified Educators

Three additional educators in the Champlain Valley School District, all based at the Williston Central School, have attained National Board Certification, a significant achievement in the field of education.

We extend our sincere congratulations to:

Colleen O'Brien - Early Adolescence Mathematics
Courtney Sherman - Exceptional Needs Specialist, Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Deb Laskarzewski - World Languages, Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

Two educators maintained their certification, which is also a proud accomplishment. Congratulations to Erin Crowley (ABS) and Andrea Griffin (WCS). 

Colleen, Courtney, and Deb join others in CVSD who have achieved this recognition. At fifteen, our district has the largest number of Board Certified Educators in the state of Vermont! 

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National Board Certification was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. It is the most respected professional certification available in K-12 education.

Created by teachers, for teachers, the National Board Standards represent a consensus among educators about what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. Board certification is available in 25 certificate areas spanning 16 disciplines from Pre-K through 12th grade.

The certification process requires that teachers demonstrate standards-based evidence of the positive effect they have on student learning in alignment with the Five Core Propositions. They must exhibit a deep understanding of their students, content knowledge, use of data and assessments and teaching practice. They must also show that they participate in learning communities and provide evidence of ongoing reflection and continuous learning.

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.

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.

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!

Celebrating All CVSD Employees

For those who don't know, this week is often referred to as Teacher Appreciation Week. Scattered throughout the school year are appreciation days, weeks, and months for a large variety of important roles people play in our schools and in our district. Rather than scatter the recognition and thanks, here in the Champlain Valley School District, we are recognizing ALL employees this week. You will see a variety of social media posts honoring about 30 groups represented in our district throughout the week. 

In addition, we compiled a list of employees who have contributed to CVSD for more than 25 years. One of the wonderful things about this list is how it is made up of people who play many different roles, including teachers, bus drivers, food service, paraeducators, administrative assistants, librarians, and more. This group comprises about 7.5% of our workforce. Their devotion, connection, and commitment to CVSD and our students speaks volumes and provides a great example for others to follow. 

Thank you ALL. 

See a larger version of the image

Students Shine at the VAMLE Conference

Here's a guest post submitted by Lynn Camara. Lynn is a student assistance program (SAP) counselor at Williston Central School (WCS). 

Students from Charlotte Central School and Shelburne Community School also attended the conference.

On Thursday, March 16, WCS sponsored a group of twenty-six 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to participate in a day-long conference at Champlain College. The event was hosted by the Vermont Association for Middle Level Education (VAMLE) and featured workshops relevant to adolescents. It was an incredible conference with 350 middle school students from all over the state. Our students were very engaged in the learning opportunities, they took positive risks, and were terrific ambassadors of WCS.

Jared Bailey, a 5th & 6th grade Sterling House teacher at WCS and the president of VAMLE, gave an opening welcome speech to all of the conference attendees. Then WCS Sterling House 6th grader Eisley Devitt read the Land Acknowledgement to the large crowd. Later in the day Mr. Bailey, Eisley, and other Sterling House students, Anna Thorley-Doucette, Annika Scott, Teague Flattery, and Varian Theriault facilitated a workshop on “Implementing Social Courage.”

The guest speaker was Bennett Townley from Special Olympics Vermont. Bennett is a graduate of WCS and Champlain Valley Union HS. He spoke of his experiences being treated unkindly and being excluded as a middle school and high school student. He found a wonderful sense of community in the Unified Sports program at CVU and shared his excitement about being part of a basketball team. Audience members found his talk to be inspirational and heartwarming.

Later in the morning students participated in a variety of workshops relevant to middle school students. In addition to the “Implementing Social Courage” workshop presented by a group of WCS students, other workshops included: Alternatives to Hazing in Athletics, Creating Change in Your School, Responding to Social Media, Unified School Communities, Organizing Against Racism, Learning About Gender, Pronouns, and Sexuality, among others.

The students returned to WCS excited to share what they have learned with their peers.

               

Nora Brady, a WCS 6th grader, said "It was a really fun experience. It was amazing to see students from all over Vermont. There were a lot of people there all learning from each other.” "This conference was a great learning experience," said 8th grader Malashie Tonokie. "It reinforced that when students can express themselves, they can become leaders. Student voices make student leaders!"

Seventh grader Orion Power-Freeman said of the day at Champlain "It was really great to see the diversity of students from all over Vermont. I loved knowing students all over are working on the same issues we are here at WCS." These students were terrific ambassadors of WCS and did a great job jumping in and participating in the conference!

Note: VAMLE is the Vermont chapter of the Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE). WCS educator Jared Bailey, the president of VAMLE, added this perspective, "It was our largest conference ever. It's also the only AMLE chapter conference that is run by students for students. It was great to see students from all over the state come together to share concerns, learn from each other, and leave with ideas on how to make their communities better! We hope to see many of this year's attendees back as presenters next year!"

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!

 

An Award Winning App for a CVU Student

Congratulations to Jaden Parker, this year's Vermont Congressional App Challenge winner!

 
Jaden, a senior at CVU from St. George, created an app called Hollow Valley using JavaScript and HTML programming languages. 

When asked about how it feels to have won this challenge for Vermont, Jaden said, 

"If I had to summarize my feelings about winning down to one word I'd choose empowering. Computer programming is a fiercely competitive sector. While the coding itself is difficult, creating something of your own design requires a different level of creativity than I'm used to. With my app, I put some of my best work forward and a lot of hours. Winning this award makes it all feel worth it. I'm incredibly thankful to my mentors who pushed me to submit my app to this challenge, without the guidance of people like Charlie MacFadyen I wouldn't have been able to have this opportunity."

Jaden provided the following information about his app and the development process.

Please briefly describe what your app does.
My app is a platforming game consisting of three levels. Each level operates on a canvas with platforms drawn using a series of intervals and functions. Each level is re-playable and is accessed through a level-select screen.

What inspired you to create this app?
I was introduced to HTML files and canvases during a computer programming class I took at CVU during the spring of 2022. For my final project I chose to create a simple game. The game I submitted for that class was used as a building off point for the app that I submitted for the contest.

What improvements would you make if you were to create a 2.0 version of your app?
I am currently working on the next version of the app. I will be adding more levels, improving the textures of the platforms, and adding a life-counting system that will make it possible to lose each level.

Where did you do most of the coding for your app?
I did most of the coding on the program VScode, with most of my time spent at home. However, I did spend some time at school in a CVU computer programming class where I am a Teacher’s Assistant, debugging with assistance from some of my students.

Did you create this app as part of a project for school, a coding club, or a similar organization?
The app began as a project for school, and is now a personal project that I hope to improve as I become a better programmer. One day I may even be able to publish the game as a playable app.

Jaden submitted this video describing his app as part of the application process and gave us permission to share it here. 

The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival. The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from Omidyar Network, AWS, theCoderSchool, Facebook, Replit, Accenture, and others.

We remain hopeful that Vermont students will continue to have this opportunity as Becca Balint joins the House as Vermont's representative. 

The 2021 Vermont winners of the Congressional App Challenge, Addison and Max, are also CVU students. We are very proud of the accomplishments of CVU students and are thrilled that their work is being recognized by others.

On a somewhat related note, Jaden was also one of three CVU students who visited Shelburne Community School recently to judge and provide feedback on 5th-graders' app concept presentations.

Congratulations to Jaden, and again to Addison and Max! 

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!

SCS Paraeducator Recognized!

We are thrilled to share that Gloria Mantagaris, a paraeducator at the Shelburne Community School (SCS), has been named the Vermont NEA's Education Support Professional of the Year! 

Gloria was honored at a surprise ceremony today at SCS, surrounded by colleagues. 

Gloria was surprised at todays' event!

Gloria and Stephanie Dupras, who nominated her for this award.

The VT-NEA shared this information in their press release announcing Gloria's award: 

On this national Education Support Professionals Day, we are pleased to announce that Gloria Mantagaris, an intensive needs paraeducator at the Shelburne Community School, has been named the Vermont-NEA ESP of the Year for 2023. A leader, negotiator, and active member of the Champlain Valley Education Association, Gloria was instrumental in forming her district’s Paraeducator Mentor Program. She has also helped secure extra sick time and an additional paid week during April break for ESP. In short, according to Stephanie Dupras, who is the co-coordinator of the ESP Peer Mentor Program, “Gloria’s passion for this profession is unparalleled. She is always an advocate for what is right and just for all ESP families. She is a peer that I look to in admiration for all she does for the ESP profession.”

As the Vermont-NEA ESP of the Year, Gloria will receive a $1,000 check, an all-expenses paid trip to the NEA ESP Conference in March, and will represent the state in the national ESP of the Year contest, which carries a top prize of $10,000.

“The core of my work is to foster trusting relationships with all students,” she said in her application. “Student success is driven by meeting them at their needs and this something I live and work by.” 

This marks the second year in a row that a CVSD education support professional has received this recognition. Jimmy Johnson, one of our valued bus drivers, was honored last year. We are so very proud! 

We encourage our communities to help to recognize and thank CVSD Education Support Professionals (ESPs) every day, but especially today, which is National ESP Day. ESPs include paraeducators like Gloria, food service staff, custodians and maintenance crew, bus drivers, and many more that not only support our programs, schools, and students, but also help to keep our schools safe, healthy, and welcoming for all. 

Congratulations Gloria!

 

Welcome Back CVSD Faculty

Today marked the official first day back for our faculty across CVSD. For the first time in three years, we gathered together at CVU for Convocation and professional development. With nearly 500 faculty members in CVU's auditorium and library (livestreamed), we started the day with speeches and a fabulous keynote. 

First, CVU's student co-presidents Asa and Kyle spoke to the whole group about their experiences in CVSD schools, with shout-outs to the many educators that had a direct impact on them. They reminded us that they have yet to experience a high school year not impacted by COVID-19 and are excited to embark on this final year of learning and connecting. 

Angela Arsenault, our School Board chair, shared an inspirational welcome message. She acknowledged the challenges we've all faced through the pandemic. She led us through an exercise to envision our dream school and district that is supportive and inclusive for all children. 

Superintendent Rene Sanchez told of the work that the district's leadership team engaged in this summer, helping to develop a focus for the year. With teaching and learning at the center of our work, we will emphasize growth and belonging for all. Incorporated into that are the more specific topics of identity, direction, connection, and proficiency. We'll be sharing more information about how we will define and incorporate those terms into our work with students and one another soon. 

Rene also recognized faculty and staff who had been in the field of education for longer than 30 years, culminating with CVU teacher, Norm McClure, who is starting his 50th year! (Yes, you read that number right!)

Our keynote today was Joelle van Lent, a licensed psychologist who focuses on resiliency. Her presentation was authentic, inspiring, and engaging. There are many things that resonated with everyone, especially after the last few years. She provided ideas and suggestions for how we can support our students and each other. 

After a short break, we shifted the focus to those four areas of identity, direction, connection, and proficiency. Everyone was offered the choice of reading an article, listening to a podcast, or watching a video (there were multiple options for each under each topic). Then we gathered in rooms by topic and discussed our experiences and ideas. 

Our final activities were community circles of about 10 in each group. There were 50 groups spread out in rooms around CVU. We responded to questions about identity, direction, connection, and proficiency. And then each group created a collaborative quilt square with some plans and intentions for the year. These squares were collected and displayed together for all to see and appreciate. It's an impressive collection of creative and thoughtful expression and ideas. Zoom in if you can!

It was a great welcome to a new school year with a positive tone, engaging speakers and activities, and inspiration for a fabulous school year. Thank you to everyone who helped plan, coordinate, and facilitate the day. We're excited to welcome students back next week!