CVSD Update July 19, 2021

 

July 19, 2021

Good afternoon Champlain Valley School District Communities!

I hope that the midpoint of the summer finds you enjoying the lovely weather, family time, and the Vermont outdoors.

I want to thank the family and community members who came out to the Shelburne Farmer’s market on July 10. We liked it so much that we are planning to make it a monthly event. CVSD will have a booth at the Shelburne Farmer’s Market on the first Saturday of each month. Not only will we be there to meet people, but we will be able to provide information and updates on our COVID-19 Response Plan, the return to school, job opportunities, and much more.

Though the original date for the Charlotte Grange on the Green was postponed, CVSD plans to have a table at the August 12th happening. We are also looking to be present at the July 28 Hinesburg Concert in the Park. If you are interested in listening to some great music, please join us at these wonderful events.

As we prepare for a full five-day-a-week return for the fall, the Vermont Department of Health is still recommending that unvaccinated people over the age of two should wear masks indoors. It also recommends several other ways to remain safe, even though Vermont does not have state COVID-19 restrictions or requirements for Vermonters or visitors to follow. However, we still need to follow the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines for travel on school buses.  Students and drivers are required to wear masks until further notice, including for transportation this summer.

We have no doubt that there will be additional guidance provided between now and the first day of school. We are in frequent contact with Secretary of Education French and with the Champlain Valley Superintendents Association so that we can align our policies, our communication, and our actions to other school districts in Vermont, and especially in the Champlain Valley region.

Finally, in coordination with our district’s annual focus on literacy, especially when it comes to summer reading, I would like to share the books that I am currently working through in July. The first is Coaching for Equity by Elena Aguilar and the second is Noise by Daniel Kahneman, Oliver Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein. Both books are valuable scaffolds for my role as an administrator and both are by authors whom I have read in other contexts. Noise is heavy on the research surrounding bias while Coaching for Equity provides the hands-on, personal experiences that coaches challenge practitioners to muddle through in order to grow their craft. Though written in very different styles, I still find myself working through their text rapidly, but attentively. If you have time this summer, please wander through any of our town libraries to see if some book or other story-telling medium catches your or your student’s interest. (Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, or Williston).

We will be sending out regular communications and updates, so look for the next one in a few weeks.

Rene Sanchez, CVSD Superintendent

This letter and more can be found in the full newsletter here. We also post these communications on our website and on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. 

A Warm Welcome from CVSD's New Superintendent

Good Friday afternoon CVSD!

I am so excited to begin my tenure as the Champlain Valley School District Superintendent. From the Little League baseball fields outside of my office window and the church bells ringing on the hour, to the rainbows on the back-to-back days when I arrived, my joy is overflowing to serve here in your district as superintendent. Though I will oversee the district, I, too, will be a CVSD resident and a parent who will send students to our schools. As we transition from the distance and hybrid learning of the last 18 months to more recognizable instruction for the next school year, we must learn from each other what was missed, what worked well, and what we need to sunset. Like you, I want to ensure that we provide the schools that our students and community deserve. However, CVSD cannot create those schools alone. We are counting on students, families, and the community to help us.

First, this coming fall will be an exciting time. Our students and staff will return to their campuses five days a week. In preparation for the return, many of our schools are undergoing renovations to improve the learning environment. Thanks to additional federal and state funding, our school district will implement a COVID Strategic Response Plan with three main components: Social-Emotional Learning, Student Engagement, and Academic Success. CVSD has created a website and survey for the community to learn more about and provide input for the plan.

Next, so we can engage with parents and families about the plan and introduce myself to the community, we have identified several occasions to inform and seek feedback on the Strategic Response Plan and for me to meet attendees to local events. Members of the CVSD administration and I intended to be present at the Williston Book Sale on July 2, but the weather has impacted that plan. So instead, I will be at the Hinesburg Parade on July 4, the Grange on the Green in Charlotte on July 8, and at the Shelburne Farmers’ Market on July 10. Please find me and say hi!

I look forward to meeting you and your current, future, and past students of CVSD over the next few weeks. Please stop by one of the events in July so I may introduce myself to you. If you cannot stop by this time, I will attend school Curriculum Nights and extracurricular activities, so do not hesitate to say hello for the first time or for the second or third time at that point. Have a great holiday weekend with your family, and I hope to meet you soon.

Rene Sanchez, Superintendent



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Champlain Valley School District

A Fond Farewell

Today marks the end of a remarkable era for our communities as we recognize Elaine Pinckney’s final day as Superintendent of the Champlain Valley School District. Over Elaine’s fifteen years of service, our school system has not only led the state in academic success but been a national leader in innovative educational approaches. She has guided our district with intelligence and heart.

Elaine has led through example, modeled how to effectively engage others in the development of systems and processes, and spearheaded a number of initiatives that have been incorporated into our district over the years. Prior to our merging into a single school district, Elaine successfully worked with CSSU’s seven different school boards with 35 different school board directors at any one time. Throughout her 47 year career in education, including serving as principal in Williston and as Vermont’s Deputy Education Secretary, she has been an inspiration and support to hundreds of professionals in the field of education, both within CVSD and beyond.

Elaine remains dedicated to students and focused on what is best for them. Her leadership, colleagueship, smile, and thoughtful nature will be sorely missed. She has new adventures planned as she steps down and we wish her the very best. Words can not adequately express our appreciation and thanks for all she did for CVSD, its students, families, and communities.



The Elaine Pinckney Legacy Fund has been set up and will be dedicated to providing financial support for school-sponsored events, on an as-needed basis, for students and families in need. Please consider a contribution. For a short time, Elaine can be reached at her email address epinckney@cvsdvt.org if you would like to reach out with personal messages.

Free Meals This Summer for Children 18 and Younger!

 

Dear CVSD Families and Community Members,

Summer is here and once again we are excited to announce that our school district will continue to provide free meals to children 18 and younger throughout the summer months. Please order meals in advance using the links provided. Use the order form for your local K-8 school. Home delivery is available.

Our program will begin on Monday 6/28/21 and provide meals in our communities on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays either delivered to your home or at the following locations and times:

• Charlotte: Take Out from 10:30 - 11:00 at the Charlotte Library. M,W,F
• Hinesburg: Delivery ONLY. M,W,F
• Shelburne: Take Out from 10:30 - 11:00 at SCS. M,W,F
• Williston: Take Out from 10:30 - 11:00 at WCS. M,W,F

We will offer a simplified summer menu, a rotating selection of favorites that meet all federal nutritional guidelines. 

a love letter to my teachers

a love letter to my teachers

i dedicate this to the core, STEM, and wellness teachers

it is dedicated to the art, english & history teachers

to each librarian, coach & campus supervisor

each house director, guidance counselor and admin member

the drivers ed teachers, paras and technicians

to the cafeteria staff - who keep our bellies full and our bodies fueled

last and most importantly not least - the custodial staff

who help our minds reflect the space they prepare for us.

you are all educators of the next generations.

how do you begin to put into words
the love, appreciation and feeling of debt you have towards those who always show up
those who see your potential no matter how much tunnel vision has taken over

it blows my mind when the role of an educator is undersold
the role of one of the worlds most essential workers

how do you undersell one who makes students world go round
the ones who have the power to ignite the mind of the young
the ability to hold the lamp that directs their path

those who take on the role of teachers, friends, parents, therapists, even chauffeurs at times
who strive to understand life experiences they’ll never face
who claim you as yours, no matter what shows on your report card

those who remind you, before all else, you are a human.

a being deserving of light and love
a being deserving of dreams that come true
a being deserving of peace and joy.

thank you to my educators.

for your vulnerability,

your wisdom

and your compassion.

thank you for believing (in) us.

for educating us.

and being patient with us.

not a second of our hard conversations,

our banter,

or our jokes will be taken for granted.

thank you for fighting alongside us,

crying with us,

challenging us,

and loving us.

for giving us a reason to continuously show up, despite the strain of life and a pandemic

for the opportunity to better ourselves

thank you for knowing when to challenge us

and simultaneously when to let us

breathe and take a step back

i am who i am because of who you are

thank you for endlessly pouring into me

so one day i can pour into others.

i see you

i uplift you

i appreciate you

i love you

♡

bene yodishembo

CVU - Class of 2021

shared with permission

Honoring CVSD's 2021 Retirees

Sadly, it's that time of year again, where we must say goodbye to the CVSD educators who are retiring. We so appreciate the many years of dedication, care, hard work, and commitment they provided to the students of CVSD. We wish them all the very best on their next adventures. 

Each year, Superintendent Elaine Pinckney brings as many of the retirees as possible together for an afternoon tea. Stories and laughter are shared, tears are shed, and words of thanks are expressed. And, because they're educators who work with students, there's one goofy picture too! 

Climate Change: Don't Ignore the Signs

Shelburne Community School students on the Yellow Team worked with art teacher Carin Lilly to illustrate their learning in new ways. Thank you to Carin and Yellow Team teacher, Robin Halnon, for your guidance on this project and for providing the following information about it to inform all of us about this important topic. 

Climate Change: Don't Ignore the Signs is a collection of art produced by 7th and 8th grade students, that is based on research around climate change. Their work is inspired by the threat of global warming and widespread effects of climate change. They are raising their “voices” in the hopes of having an impact on awareness and to inspire personal decision making that supports efforts to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases. Working off of a central website, students inserted their own art and then linked it to their own sites with their artist's statements and research. It is a treasure trove of art and research!

Climate Change: Don't Ignore the Signs