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SCS Community Newsletter
Week of January 29, 2024
Principals' Message
Good Afternoon SCS Families and Caregivers,
This week’s Principals’ Message comes courtesy of our Planning Room team. With preparations for 2024-25 underway, we’re pausing to take stock of many different school-wide systems and practices at this point of the year. We often get questions about how the Planning Room works, so we wanted to share this overview with you all. We’re incredibly fortunate to have such an experienced team that is working hard to make sure all kids feel a sense of growth and belonging here at SCS, especially when there are bumps in the road.
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Welcome to the Planning Room (PR) at SCS! We are a three person team that consists of Nancy Haynes and Jess Howard, the Co-Directors, and Natalie Gagnon, a Behavior Interventionist. We wanted to reintroduce ourselves and give an overview of our process in the Planning Room.
Nancy has been working as a Behavior Specialist for the past 40 years. She joined SCS in 2019 and has been the captain of our ship since. She will put a smile on anyone's face. Jess comes with an extensive background in social work and family law. She started at SCS in 2021 as the Recess Supervisor and transitioned into the PR role with Nancy at the end of the 2021 school year. She brings an abundance of calm and positive energy to our team. Natalie, a CVSD alumna, started working at SCS in 2018 as the Recess Coordinator and transitioned to an Intensive Para for the next 3 years. She joined the PR team in 2022 and has hit the ground running making sure the PR runs like a well oiled machine.
In the Planning Room, we respond to minor and major behavioral and safety incidents across all grades at SCS. We also assist students proactively to problem-solve and act as a safe “check-in” space for students who may need physical or emotional breaks during the school day.
The Infamous “Green Sheet”
What exactly is a green sheet? At its simplest, it’s a paper form that staff members complete in order to document a major behavioral infraction. In practice, green sheets have multiple purposes. First, they allow us to collect data and note behavior trends in order to proactively support the school community. Second, they help teach students accountability and work towards repairing harm when an incident occurs. Last but not least, a green sheet is used as a learning experience and life lesson and as a way to communicate with parents.
A green sheet is completed by a staff member when a student demonstrates a major or unsafe behavior. Once the Planning Room receives the green sheet, we speak to parties involved (staff and students) and work towards a repair and resolution using restorative practices. The data from the sheet is then entered into a school-wide database to help track behavioral trends. A scanned copy of the sheet is also emailed to families in the spirit of transparency (unless we have an alternative communication process as part of a student’s plan).
Receiving a green sheet can bring up a lot of feelings for students and families. We hope if your student receives one, you will utilize it as a talking point for larger life lessons and support our common goals of helping students learn from mistakes, take responsibility for their actions, and problem solve ways to repair harms. Green sheet data does not “travel with” students when they graduate and go to high school.
If you ever have any questions, concerns or are in need of support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us :)
Nancy, Jess & Natalie
Mark Your Calendars
1/29 - CVU School Counselors Presentation to 8th Graders (8:15-9:30 am) SCS K-4 JumpRope Progress Reports will be emailed to families!
2/1 - Scripps Spelling Bee (8:30am, SCS Library)
2/1 - 8th Grade Family Night at CVU (6:30-7:45 pm, CVU Gym)
2/2 - 4th/5th Grade Finding Nemo Performance (7:00 pm, CVU Auditorium)
2/3 - 4th/5th Grade Finding Nemo Performance (11:30 am, CVU Auditorium)
2/7 - CVSD Housing Support Drop-In Office Hours (1:00-2:00 pm, SCS Conference Room)
2/7 - PTO Winter Grant Proposal Presentations (3pm, Library)
2/7 - PTO Read-a-Thon: Read Alouds & Book Swap ( 6-7:30pm, Green + Blue Team Spaces)
2/8 - 100th Day of School! (Anticipated) - “Zero the Hero” comes to visit students!
2/9 - Last Day to Register for Late Winter & Spring SCS Sports for 5th-8th graders
2/13 - 6pm PTO Meeting (Green Team Space)
2/15 - CVSD Author Visit: Jason Chin visits SCS
2/16 - PTO Read-a-Thon: Virtual PJ Story Hour 6pm (from home, in PJ’s)
2/21 - 4th grade NAEP Assessment
2/22 - 8th grade NAEP Assessment
2/22 - SCS Band Concert (7-8:30pm, Gym)
2/23 - PTO Read-a-Thon: Dress Like Your Favorite Character!
2/23 - Unified Sports Tournament
2/23 - Basketball Challenge: 8th graders vs. SCS Staff
SCS Announcements
Bringing Stories to Life Through Film
One of our middle level students wrote a screenplay and we introduced her to some media equipment to bring it to life through film. We started right in on acting out a scene from her script and then turned things into an impromptu dance video towards the end of class yesterday.
Congrats Robocats!
The SCS Robocats team competed this past Saturday at the State FLL Finals Competition at Norwich University and were awarded the Innovation Project Award!
Here's a video with some photos of the day.
Please join us in congratulating the Robocats team members for their accomplishment!
Message from the Health Office: Uptick in student illnesses
Now that winter is upon us, we are seeing a variety of illnesses and viruses throughout our school. In an effort to minimize transmission, we are asking for your help in keeping students home when they are sick. Please stay home if you have an excessive cough or runny nose, have thrown up, or have a temperature over 100.4 F (without the use of medication) within the last 24 hours before returning. We are finding that many students are coming to school sick because they have tested negative for COVID, however, COVID is only one of the many illnesses we are seeing.
Everyone can also take these simple steps to stay healthy during respiratory virus season including: washing your hands frequently, covering your cough, and staying home when sick. Our school community appreciates your efforts.
Calling all Kindergarteners for 2024-2025!
Online registration for next year's Kindergarten students will begin February 1. If your student will turn 5 on or before September 1, 2024, please contact Katie Schut (kschut@cvsdvt.org) so she can email you a link to complete the online registration forms. CVSD is asking all families to register their Kindergarteners by February 24, in an effort to get more accurate enrollment numbers for our schools. These enrollment numbers help us to plan our staffing and scheduling needs for the upcoming school year. We look forward to welcoming our new Kindergartners to SCS!
Hatching Baby Trout
In the Teal Team Maker Space The Trout Team has been taking care of about 95 Brook Trout! These Brook Trout arrived on January 10th as tiny little eggs. Some eggs have hatched, some eggs have died and some eggs are still waiting to hatch. The hatched fish or alevin are cute. They are cute because of their size, their giant eyes and their bellies. Stay tuned for more updates!
- The Trout Team
Bhutanese Cultural Night Event
Thank you to everyone who attended our Bhutanese Cultural Night last Friday. We look forward to hosting our next DEI Town Hall Event March 14 to celebrate the Somali community in Vermont.
Don't forget the stuffie hospital is always open! A special shout-out to SCS student, Isla Cluff, who made a generous donation to support the Velveteen Rabbit Rescue. Thank you Isla!
SCS Sports Registration for Late Winter & Spring
LAST CALL FOR SCS sports registration for the 2023 - 2024 LATE WINTER (Volleyball) and SPRING (Baseball, Softball, Track & Field, and Ultimate Frisbee) seasons.
Registration will close on FRIDAY, February 9, 2024.
SCS Athletics Options:
Late Winter Season:
VOLLEYBALL is open to all 6-8th grade students.
Spring Season:
BASEBALL for all 6-8th graders
SOFTBALL for 5-8th grade girls
TRACK & FIELD for all 5-8th graders
ULTIMATE FRISBEE for all 5-8th graders
If you have a student interested in playing a late winter or spring sport, you will need to complete our registration for SCS athletics. In addition, you will need to submit a Wellness Exam - Sports Participation Form.
Volleyball will begin on Monday, March 4, and run through April 5, 2024.
Spring Sports will begin on Monday, April 8, and run through May, 2024.
Student-athletes will not be allowed to participate until their registration and wellness forms have been completed and submitted.
Feel free to check out the SCS Athletics website, as there is a wealth of information available for families.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Leigh Petrucelli, SCS Athletic Director
Support SCS' Penguin Plunge Team
Once again this year SCS students will be participating in the Polar Plunge, scheduled for Saturday, February 10th, to support Special Olympics Vermont. Follow the links to: join the SCS team, or donate.
Here are some pictures of last year's SCS participants for inspiration!
PTO
The Readathon is Coming!: February 7-March 7
The PTO is sponsoring Shelburne Community School's second annual school-wide Readathon from February 7 - March 7. Learn all about it here and see a full calendar of events!
Our kick-off event is a FREE BOOK SWAP on Wednesday, February 7 from 6 - 7:30 pm in the Green Team common room. Bring your gently used children's books (picture books and board books through Young Adult books) or look for the drop box in the SCS lobby. There will be free books, free pizza, crafts, a raffle, and more! All are welcome -- you do NOT need to donate books to attend this free event. Please RSVP here so we order enough pizza. Questions? Email scsreadathon@gmail.com
🏀Get Involved: SCS PTO 3v3 Spring Basketball Tourney Needs You! 🏀
The PTO is excited to host our first annual 3v3 SPRING BASKETBALL TOURNEY on Sat, April 6th.
Teams across grades G5-8
Halftime Basketball Activities for K-4 with some special guests
Adult Team
Food, Raffles, and Prizes
More!!!!
We urgently need volunteers for our planning committee and on-site roles. If you love basketball or enjoy supporting school events, this is your chance to make a significant impact!
Sign up Here!
Meetings will mostly be in evenings/remote. Schedule TBD based on best avails.
For any questions or for more info please email hayleyc@shelburnepto.org
Team registration and more info coming soon!
CVSD News
January is Mentor Appreciation Month
Did you know Connecting Youth Mentoring is one of the largest programs in Vermont? We serve more than160 5th-12th grade mentees. And 80% of our them agree or strongly agree that their mentor makes them feel like they matter. That’s impact!
January is Mentor Appreciation Month, and we want to acknowledge the positive impact our mentors have on our young people across CVSD. Our mentors are a special group of folks; their generosity is invaluable. One hour a week, they connect with their mentees, nurturing relationships, building trust and instilling life-long skills.
Thank you, CY Mentors for your dedication to our young people and our community. Your time, guidance, and support make a difference everyday. We are so grateful for all that you do. To learn more about mentoring and Connecting Youth, visit our site
PreKindergarten Lottery 2024-2025
All applications must be received by February 5, 2024, and are located on the CVSD Early Education website under 2024-2025 Preschool Lottery .
Community Announcements
SCS Useful Links
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