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SCS Community Newsletter
Week of October 16, 2023
Principal's Message
Dear SCS Families and Caregivers,
There was so much to celebrate at school this week! With the bike trailer arriving for PE classes, the "Weather at Your School" segment, the PTO meeting, and the middle-level hike up Mount Philo, the building was full of positive energy throughout the week.
We also want to acknowledge that this has been a challenging week for many members of our community. Over the long weekend, Hamas' attack on Israel affected many of our students and staff. Some have Israeli or Palestinian heritage, others have friends or family members living in the area, and those of us without a personal connection to the region were shocked and saddened by the violence that unfolded on our screens. We recognize that it is our responsibility as a school to care for our students, staff, and each other as best we can, particularly in times of tragedy.
To that end, we provided time during Wednesday's early release day for all staff members to step away from the hustle and bustle of their daily work to share in small groups how they were feeling about the situation in Israel and what they needed in order to feel well cared for at work. Most of those conversations quickly turned to how we can support our students in making sense of the ongoing tragedy. Many of the resources that were shared included a focus on how to talk with kids in developmentally appropriate ways about what's happening in Israel, such as:
- How to talk about the Israel-Hamas war: Resources for Educators (EdWeek)
- How do I talk to my kids about violence in the news? (CommonSense Media)
Others focused on building students' background knowledge about the region:
Please feel free to use these resources if they are helpful in having conversations with your child at home. We encourage you to be mindful that any member of our community may be struggling, whether or not they choose to share that publicly. Kindness, compassion, and grace can go a long way in supporting each other through trying times. We all hope for lasting peace and a swift conclusion to the conflict. While there may not be much we can do from our little corner of Vermont, we can model that aspiration in our interactions with each other in hopes for brighter days ahead.
Be well,
Alison, Brett, & Emily
Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming Dates:
- 10/18 - DEI Community Coffee (8:00-9:00 am in cafeteria)
- 10/20 - PTO Fall Fundraiser Kick-off!
- Week of 10/23: FoodSmart preparing Stone Soup at lunch with students
- 10/26 - Green Team Field Trip to Shelburne Farms (8:00 am-2:45pm)
- 10/27 - Blue Team Field Trip to Shelburne Farms (8:00am-2:45pm)
- 11/1 - CVSD Housing Support Team Office Hours at SCS (1:00-2:00 pm)
- 11/2 - Picture Day Make Up
- 11/2 - Sibling Photo Day (3:00 pm)
- 11/7 - PTO Meeting (6:00 pm)
"Weather at Your School" visited SCS
Marissa Vigevani from NBC channel 5 News filmed "Weather at your School" at SCS today. Marissa also visited several classrooms to answer questions.
Middle School Fun at Mt. Philo
Reminders & Announcements
Safety Drill Updates
An email was sent today with details on our emergency preparedness exercises. Please contact Alison, Brett, or Emily if you have any questions or concerns.
School Photo Update
- Order forms are due back at school on Tuesday, October 17th by the end of the day.
- Make-up day will be offered on the afternoon of November 2nd for any student who missed the first session or who would like their portraits retaken at no extra charge.
- AMV Photography will also be offering sibling portraits at no additional charge. This will be held after school at 3:00 on November 2nd in the breezeway.
- Please contact Jen Marx at jmarx@cvsdvt.org or 383-1102, if your child plans to participate in the make-up day or if you have any questions.
VTCAP Assessment
VTCAP reports from last spring, will be mailed home next week. Students currently in grades 4-8 will receive these reports along with a family guide on how to use this information.
SCS Athletics - Basketball Coaches Needed
SCS is looking for caring and knowledgeable basketball coaches for the 2023 2024 winter season.
The successful candidates will have previous playing and/or coaching experience and the ability to collaborate with all coaches within the SCS basketball program. Experience coaching middle school age athletes is preferred, but not required.
Traditionally, either practices or games occur four afternoons/evenings per week (M, T, Th, F). Practices typically run for 1.5 hours each day with varying start times (3PM or 4:30PM). These needs could change as our athletics program continues to adapt to the public health reality. The season will begin in November 2023 and will end in late February 2024.
These positions will be offered as a one-year contract. The compensation is based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
CVSD is an equal opportunity employer. Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), women, and LGBTQ+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For reference, CVSD Equity Policy.
Interested candidates should send a cover letter and sports-related resume to SCS Athletic Director, Leigh Petrucelli. lpetrucelli@cvsdvt.org or apply online at www.schoolspring.com
SCS Volunteer Opportunities
Morning Movement, Lunch, Recess, Guest Teacher Help Needed
Lego Competition at SCS - 12/2/23
Massive Lego Robotics Competition @SCS - Lead Volunteer(s) Needed!!!
- Teacher Joey Adams will be hosting 25 Lego Robotics teams from across the state at SCS on Dec 2nd from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. He estimates 500-700 attendees!
- He really needs someone to help plan/coordinate the overall event including PTO-Run concessions.
- Details can be found here: https://www.firstlegoleague.org/season
- If you are interested/available in leading coordination please contact devin@consultap.com for more details. Most/all support can be done on evenings or weekends - not during the workday.
Bike Skills Week Update
Local Motion’s bike smart bike trailer provides the students at SCS a great opportunity to learn bike safety. It’s the perfect addition to our Physical Education program!
Bike Skills ends October 20th. Parents, to get your student's bike back home and have some fun, consider riding home with your student on that Friday!
Questions/concerns should be directed to Paul Membrino - 5-8 PE: pmembrino@cvsdvt.org
Stone Soup with Food Smart
SCS students will be preparing this communal feast during the week of October 23rd, and Stone Soup books will be on display in the library. Stone Soup is back on the menu on Friday, 10/27!
How can you help?
Bring in home grown or store bought vegetables Thursday, 10/19 & Friday, 10/20 (K-4) and Monday, 10/23 & Tuesday, 10/24 (5-8). We need a lot of veggies to keep little hands busy and feed the entire school!
Each class please try to bring:
2 onions
1 celery stalk
10 carrots
5 potatoes
1 large yellow squash
2 zucchini
1 broccoli head
1 cauliflower head
2 turnips
1 cabbage
some kale
1 bunch of basil
1 bunch of parsley
1 stone
If your (kid’s) class has signed up to help prepare soup, your teacher will be in touch with volunteer times.
If you would like to help serve soup on Friday, 10/27 please email scsfoodsmart@gmail.com Thank you!
Any questions, please reach out!
Everybody Wins! still seeks a Shelburne Community School coordinator
This is a flexible 10-15 hour/week position that matches community volunteers with elementary aged children each week for friendship, conversation, and reading. We have many mentor/mentee matches from previous years waiting for a new coordinator so that they may begin to meet again this year!
Work happens at SCS and some administrative pieces can happen remotely. You will be supported by the Program Coordinator, Kate Floyd. Please see the website for more details We're Hiring! - Everybody Wins! Vermont (everybodywinsvermont.org)
and any questions can be sent to Kate: progmgrwest@everybodywinsvermont.org
Food available during school breaks
If you would like to receive supplemental food for your Shelburne school-age children during any of the four school vacations this year, please complete this form. This form will close on Friday, November 10
Supplemental food includes milk, eggs, fruit, yogurt, cereal, cheese and various shelf-stable items. Fresh produce is included as well when available. Your phone number and email address will be used for text reminders &/or updates.
NEW!!! Food will be available at the Shelburne Food Shelf, the THURSDAY BEFORE school vacations:
- November 16
- December 21
- February 22
- April 18
Pick up food on Thursdays between 3:00-6:00 pm at the Shelburne Food Shelf (located on the 1st floor of the town office building at 5420 Shelburne Rd).
Food is purchased for each child signed up, so if your plans change and you will not require food for a school break, please let us know.
You will receive a confirmation email or text to remind you of the dates you signed up for. If any of your contact information changes after submitting your form, please let us know.
Contact: schoolfoodSFS@gmail.com
802-622-3313 ext 3 and leave a message
Taking Things Apart - Free Stem Workshop
Fall Fundraiser
Save the date for the PTO's annual Fall Fundraiser! This online retail shop will be open 10/20-11/6, and will include gifts, gift wrap, jewelry, local foods, home decor, SCS spirit wear and more! You can get your holiday shopping done while supporting SCS because every purchase sends money straight to our teachers to fund classroom needs and wants! Stay tuned for more details here and in your students' folders.
Next PTO Meeting
Tuesday, 11/7 at 6 PM. There is free pizza and babysitting for school-age kids!
SCS Useful Links
CVSD News
CVSD Fall Family and Caregiver Survey - one more week to complete!
A HUGE thank you to the 110 families and faculty/staff members who have completed this survey to share your SCS/CVSD experience with the district. The district is looking for more feedback/input, and is extending the deadline to complete this survey for another week. If you didn't get a chance to complete this survey yet, please be sure to do so this week. Thank you!
CVSD has partnered with Panorama Education to conduct our Fall 2023 Family Survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential and anonymous. The survey will be a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools and our district exemplary.
You may complete the survey online before October 20th using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If you have children in more than one of our schools, we'd appreciate you sharing your thoughts about each separately. Please note: we are not certain that the survey saves if you have to step away while completing it. Please try to fill it out in one sitting.
We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact us using Let's Talk and selecting the General Questions topic.
Parent Resources
Vermont Family Support Programs
Family Support Programs are offered online free of charge to Vermont parents and families.
The Child Mind Institute: The Science of Reading - How Parents and Educators Can Support Kids
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET
Online Webinar
Join leading children’s mental health experts and educators for a webinar focusing on the evidence-based approach to reading and how parents and educators can support kids with reading challenges.
Community Announcements
Falls Road Working Group Survey
Since last February, a group of Shelburne residents have been meeting to discuss common
concerns about getting around Falls Road, specifically the section of road between Route 7 and
Church Street. These concerns primarily involve the experiences of people walking and biking,
but drivers can also feel uncomfortable because of concerns about people walking and biking,
and challenges exiting and finding parking.
The working group would now like to obtain feedback from the community by way of a
community survey. This survey will invite you to share your perspectives about the proposed
vision and strategies for Falls Road between Route 7 and Church Street, and will be open until
Wednesday, October 25.
The survey includes a short informational video and will take about 15 minutes to complete.
Please share with others in your social network so that the group can hear from as many folks
as possible. We value your time and engagement on this important place in Shelburne, and look
forward to hearing your thoughts!
If you have any questions, please send them to Susan Grasso at susan@localmotion.org.
Please use this link to complete the survey:
CVSD Info
Find information about monthly School Board Meetings, community forums such as the DEI Town Hall, and more on the district website. See the year at a glance on the 2023-2024 K-8 School Year Calendar. See The CVSD Story for the latest blog posts about what's happening across the district.
Let's Talk
Still Need More Information?
Website: https://www.cvsdvt.org/shelburne
Shelburne Community School Administration
Brett Cluff, 5-8 Principal
Emily Cogan, Director of Special Education